County reaches 5-year labor deal with Sheriff’s Association employees

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has approved a five-year contract with full-time employees in the Sheriff’s Office who aren’t deputy sheriffs. (The deputies have their own union.)

The agreement with the Orleans County Sheriff’s Employee Association includes about 60 employees who work as a civil clerk, communication coordinator, cook, correction lieutenant, correction officer, correction sergeant, correction sergeant first class, public safety dispatcher and senior civil clerk.

The contract includes 2 percent annual increases from 2022 to 2026. In addition, the contract adds a new step 8 and all eight steps receive a 75-cent increase per hour from 2022 to 2024, and a 50-cent increase per hour in 2025 and 2026.

The pay increases 75-cent and 50-cent pay increases per hour adds between 1.5 to 3 percent more in pay for employees, depending upon their grade and step, said Jack Welch, the county chief administrative officer.

The employees who are on the lower end of the pay scale will see the higher percentage increase, Welch said.

The agreement also increases the longevity to include 35 years, and includes a holiday for the day after Thanksgiving.