(MAYVILLE, NEW YORK) – Surprisingly, Majority Republicans on the Chautauqua County Legislature overwhelmingly voted Wednesday evening (November 18th) to approve a new contract that covers 950 Public Workers, bringing to an end a four-year run of Civil Service Employee Association (CSEA)-represented County Employees working without a new deal.

In fact, CSEA Local 807/Unit 6300 President Steve Skidmore Tells WNYLaborToday.com he received a cell phone message from Republican County Executive Vince Horrigan after the vote.  “I’ve got to give (Horrigan) credit, he called me after and said the County Employees ‘deserved (the new contract)’ and that he was ‘happy’ it went through,” Skidmore said.

And during the vote, Skidmore said Republican Legislator Terry Niebel – who was apparently against casting a yes vote for the new County Workers Contract – did an about face and voted for the agreement.  “He acknowledged there was ‘give and take’ during the negotiations and that it was a ‘fair’ deal,” Skidmore told Your On-Line Labor Newspaper.

The new agreement features 2% Wage Increases in 2016 and 2017, and a retroactive 2% Wage Increase for 2015, Skidmore said.  It was ratified by CSEA Members by a better than 3-to-1 vote (A total of 473 voted yes and 143 no).  In addition, he told Your On-Line Labor Newspaper that other improvements in the new deal include better avenues to fund the CSEA-represented County Workers’ Health Care Coverage and improvements made in the Grievance Procedure.

CSEA Local 807/Unit 6300 represents 950 Chautauqua County Public Workers who are employed in a variety of positions, from Highway to Social Services to Weights and Measures to Health Care and Probation. 

Those County Workers who attended the Legislators’ vote in Mayville on Wednesday night said they were “relieved” it was “all over” and “want to move on,” Skidmore said.

“Before you know it, we’ll be ‘heading back to the table’ to begin negotiations on a new contract,” he added.

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: For More on This Labor News Story, Read Your On-Line Labor Newspaper’s November 11th Labor News Story, Headlined: CSEA-Represented Public Employees In Chautauqua County Ratify New Agreement, Bringing To An End Four Years Of Working Under An Expired Contract… However – It ‘Ain’t Over Yet’ As Ratified Agreement Goes To The GOP Majority County Legislature On November 18th For Its Approval