County, union strike labor agreement

YERINGTON - Lyon County and its employees union appear satisfied with a three-year labor agreement.

Workers will receive a 3 percent salary increase for the remainder of this fiscal year, retroactive to October 1999, a 3 percent increase in 2000 and a 2 1/2 percent increase in 2001.

Employees also retained 100 percent medical benefits; however, if an employee's premium increases $40 or more per month, payment responsibility will be reopened for negotiation and sent to fact-finding board if agreement can't be reached.

Ending almost a year of negotiations, which included the services of a federal mediator, County Manager Stephen Snyder said the agreement, including benefits, will cost the county an additional 5 to 10 percent for each employee.

"I think we feel there is reasonable compensation for both parties," Snyder said on Tuesday. He did not have specific figures on how much the wage increase would cost.

Comptroller Rita Evasovic said a 2 1/2 percent increase was built into the 1999/00 budget and will cover this year's 3 percent contract obligation from Oct. 1 through June 30 .

Steve Kostenbader, immediate past president of the Lyon County Employees Association, said the negotiating team did a good job.

"I am pretty happy with it. A few are not pleased, but you can't please everyone," he said. "They gave a little, we gave a little. It's a give and take process."