The Rock Island County Administrator's recommendation for unionized Rock Island County employees to not accept their raise for next year was shot down, but one Rock Island County Board member believes he's found a solution that would save the county thousands of dollars a year.
Citing saving the cash-strapped county roughly $250,000, county administrator Dave Ross suggested AFSCME Local 2025 give up their two percent raise, which was part of county employees' existing contract. AFSCME Local 2025 president Jeff Stulir said his employees wouldn't pass on their raises unless the county board "steps up and helps out."
"It should be an overall effort to try and help the county and their financial situation," said Stulir, standing outside of the Rock Island County Jail on Wednesday, October 28, 2015.
He added, "We've always stepped up whenever the county had a financial crisis; we've done furloughs, we've gave our raises back. How many times can you come back to the union and say, 'we need you to do this.'"
The union has recommend county board members vote to make themselves ineligible for health and pension benefits. In reaction to those comments, board member Drue Mielke (R) drafted a resolution that would comply with the union's request.
"We need to not only look at union wages, but the county board counts, too," Mielke said, explaining how the county and unions can work together. "We are also employees of the county, so wouldn't it be hypocritical for us to look at this group of people and not look at our own selves? We need to look inward, too."
Board members are eligible for pension and health benefits if they work a total of 1,000 hours per year, which averages to about 20 hours per week, but Mielke says there's no way to prove whether board members do or do not work the required number of hours. Currently, not all board members receive health and pension benefits from the county. Mielke added he currently does receive county benefits, but has requested to be removed from those to cut costs.
Mielke's said he hopes his resolution, which is being reviewed by the county governance task force committee, would create common ground for the county and the union, ultimately leading to a cash-saving compromise.