Westmoreland County and court worker union reaches new labor deal

Westmoreland commissioners approved a new four-year labor agreement with the union that represents about 250 employees in court-related offices at the courthouse.

The deal with the Westmoreland County Court-Appointed and Court-Related Employees Association includes average annual wage hikes between 2.25% to 2.5%, according to Alexis Bevan, the county’s human resources director.

Bevan said there were no other significant changes in the deal with the union that represents clerks and other office workers in court records offices at the courthouse as well as deputy sheriffs.

The new contract, which will expire at the end of 2024, was resolved through an arbitration process after the sides were unable to come to an agreement through negotiations.

The contract carries similar raises granted last year as part of a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with the county’s largest labor unions, the Service Employees International Union Local 668 and SEIU HealthCare Pennsylvania, which represents more than 600 county workers including all non court-related staff and, separately, nurses at Westmoreland Manor, the county-owned nursing home.

That deal also included increases to workers’ medical insurance co-payments and a $25 monthly surcharge placed on all employees who use tobacco products an average of four times a week.

Bevan did not respond to questions about insurance co-payments and a tobacco surcharge with regards to the new contract with court related workers union.