Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz has announced that Erie County has reached contract agreements with two bargaining units representing law enforcement county workers, the Civil Service Employees Association (“CSEA”) Corrections Unit and the Erie County Sheriff’s PBA Unit. The CSEA agreed to a five-year collective bargaining agreement (“CBA”) that puts their 232 members under contract through December 31, 2026 while the Sheriffs’ PBA agreed to a CBA for their 150 members that covers an identical time period.

“Completing these contract negotiations in a timely manner is important and takes considerable work from all at the table. Negotiations are never easy but when both parties come together in good faith and engage in an honest and open dialogue, good results that are fair to all can occur,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz.  “I thank the leadership of CSEA and the Sheriffs PBA for coming to the table and working out fair agreements for their rank-and-file members and thanks also to Commissioner of Labor Relations Gary A. Wilson, Esq. for his hard work in representing Erie County taxpayers.”

The CSEA collective bargaining agreement includes a slight raise of $1.00/hour in shift differential for hard-to-staff shifts (from 3 PM – 7 AM) and will include a salary increase of 17% over the life of the contract. This increase adjusts for recent inflation and acknowledges the difficult job that CSEA Corrections members do. Some other highlights of the new CSEA agreement include:

• Juneteenth will be observed as a holiday. CSEA had been below the County average for number of holidays observed so by adding Juneteenth the union will memorialize an important holiday without increasing the total number of holidays above comparable unions.
• Improvements were made to the maternity leave section of the contract. The change allows for additional time during which insurance is offered to employees while they are out on maternity leave, providing important supports for female employees who are out on maternity leave.
• Health waivers were increased slightly in an effort to encourage individuals with alternative health insurance options to use that alternative. The county saves considerable money for each individual who chooses to use outside health insurance. Health insurance maximum contributions were also raised slightly.

The Sheriffs PBA CBA also includes a slight raise in shift differential ($1.00/hour) to incentivize employees to work less-desirable shifts, along with a salary increase of 17.5% over the term of the contract. While this is a substantial increase that recognizes the difficult work that Sheriffs PBA members do, it is also to encourage recruitment for difficult-to-fill positions such as Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain. A $2,500 “bonus” is included in the new CBA to allow for good quality members of law enforcement to be recruited and employed in these positions. Longevity steps were also modified slightly under the new agreement. Both CBAs also include provisions adding more accountability and increased transparency to continue to foster a positive relationship between law enforcement and the community at large.

“Having fair and responsibly completed labor agreements in hand shows respect to our workforce and to county taxpayers, making it possible to plan for the future and control costs where possible. My administration will continue to pursue fair agreements with our bargaining units in order to maintain a top-notch workforce for Erie County residents,” Poloncarz concluded.   

For more information:

On the Erie County Department of Labor Relations, visit https://www3.erie.gov/laborrelations/   

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