Harrison commissioners on Monday unanimously approved a new contract with the union representing the township’s public works employees.

The three-year agreement is retroactive to Jan. 1 and runs through Dec. 31, 2021. Commissioners voted at a special meeting held Monday afternoon.

About 10 employees are represented by Local 238 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. They accepted the agreement on Friday, commissioners President William Heasley said.

The employees will get 3 percent pay increases in each year of the contract. They fall into one of three tiers based on when they were hired.

For tier 1 employees, hired before January 1995, their hourly rate will increase to $25.90 in the first year, and reach $27.48 in the third and final year, township Manager Rich Hill said.

Tier 2 employees were hired between Aug. 1, 2000 and before July 1, 2012. They’ll make $25.17 per hour in the first year, and go up to $26.71 in the third year.

Employees in a third tier, hired after Jan. 1, 2012, make a percentage of the wage of their tier 2 counterparts — 75 percent in the first year, 85 percent in the second, 95 percent in the third, and then reach 100 percent in the fourth year, according to Hill.

For health benefits, all employees will pay $100 per month, plus 25 percent of any increase since the base year of 2016. The 25 percent portion will vary based on the type of coverage selected — individual, couple or family.

Other changes include an increase in a boot allowance, from $75 to $150 per year, and an additional personal day, increased from two to three.

The township previously had a four-year contract with the union. That had been done to get them out of being in the same cycle as township police officers, Commissioner William Poston said.

Brian Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Brian at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BCRittmeyer.

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