Sheriff's employees getting pay hike

Sheriff's Office employees are set to get 5 percent raises under an arbitration award announced this week.

The agreement covers most workers in the Sheriff's Office and the Register of Wills - a group of about 200 that are represented as a unit by the local Fraternal Order of Police. They had been without a contract since June 30, 2009.

According to the arbitration agreement, Sheriff's Office workers will get 5 percent raises. But the Register of Wills workers will get whatever pay deal is struck with the city's blue-collar union, District Council 33 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, whose contract expired June 30, 2009.

For benefits, any future sheriff's employees will have to pay more to stay on the traditional pension plan, or go on a lower-cost hybrid pension 401(k) plan. Any new Register of Wills workers will have to enroll in the hybrid.

The city's arbitrator objected to the award, saying that the raises were too costly and that the city needs the ability to furlough workers.

Mayor Nutter still has not reached contracts with all four municipal unions. The police have a deal, but the city is appealing an arbitration award for firefighters. Blue-collar and white-collar workers have been without contracts for almost two years.

- Catherine Lucey