MONTICELLO – Sullivan County Government workers represented by Teamsters Local 445 have been working under a contract that expired at the end of last year. They are currently negotiating with the county seeking more money.
Union representative Jerry Ebert said the average county employee is earning $10,000 less per year than equivalent positions in surrounding municipalities, school districts and other counties.
Ebert is hopeful that raises can be accomplished without hiking county
taxes and he is confident an agreement can be reached.
“We have faith that the Sullivan County Legislature is going to do the right thing in the end,” Ebert said. “It’s a good group of people all in all so we are just hoping that they recognize the problem that we have with the low wages that we have in Sullivan County and they do something to fix it.”
Ebert (with guitar): “We have faith …”
County Manager Joshua Potosek said while negotiations are continuing,
“we are not in a financial position to grant the union’s demands,
as we do not know to what degree the casino and other new development
and investment countywide will result in increased revenue.”
Potosek said Sullivan, like counties across the state, “continues to struggle with the enormous costs of benefits, which while not reflected in salaries, still have a major impact on our budgets.” He said taxpayers “demand we operate the county in a fiscally sound and prudent manner.”
Ebert said the union wants to “invigorate the middle class in Sullivan County.”
