As work continues toward a contract for the Burr Ridge Public Works employees, the Village Board has agreed to include the workers in the salary increase previously approved for the village’s non-union workers.
Each Public Works employee will receive a 2 percent increase, retroactive to May 1. Those who are not at the top of their pay scale will also be eligible for a 1 or 1.5 percent merit increase, depending on performance.
Ten Burr Ridge Public Works Department employees joined the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 earlier this year, making Local 150 the employees’ exclusive bargaining agent.
Work only recently began toward the employees’ first union contract. A second negotiating session was held Monday, and steady progress was made, union spokesman Ed Maher said.
“There was progress on both sides,” Maher said.
Following the first negotiating session, Village Administrator Steve Stricker said negotiations were moving smoothly toward the employees’ first contract.
“We’re making good progress, I think,” he said.
Maher said the village made the right choice in granting the cost-of-living raises to its newly unionized employees.
“While this contract is being negotiated, the village is sticking with their past practices,” he said. “They’re doing right by their workers.”