Workers at Municipal Utilities will receive a 4 percent raise in 2018, 2019 and 2020 under a union contract approved Monday by the Poplar Bluff City Council.
The raise for about 80 employees of the electric, water and sewer departments will cost approximately $232,000 in 2018, with wages and benefits, said Bill Bach, utilities general manager.
The expense was included in the budget passed by the city council at the end of December, he said.
"Our 15-year average of our rate increases has been 2.6 percent," Bach added before the vote, asking council members to consider the wages of surrounding utility companies.
The top pay for linemen at Poplar Bluff was $32.43 per hour in 2017, Bach said. Ozark Border offered $4.30 more per hour, and Ameren Missouri at Dexter was $8.25 higher, he continued.
"Since I've started negotiations, I've actually had four employees that are no longer with us," Bach said.
One went to Ameren, one to a cooperative at Fredericktown and two to Puerto Rico.
Two contracts with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 702 will cover about 30 members each from the electrical department and the water-sewer department.
A professional development schedule is used to also give the raise to non-union members of Municipal Utilities.
The utility expects to end 2018 in the black by more than $464,000 between the two departments, with a raise included in the figures, according to Bach.
The utility received a 2 percent increase in 2016 and a 4 percent raise in 2017, under a previous contract.
The previous contract expired Dec. 31.
The council held both workshop and voting sessions on the contracts in the same night in order to get raises to the employees more quickly, said Mayor pro tem Susan McVey.
Mayor Ed DeGaris did not participate in either the discussion or vote due to a conflict of interest.
"They've already gone basically six weeks without the raise," McVey said.
The city is still in negotiations with unions serving the fire department and for another contract that would cover the street, motor pool and cemetery departments. These contracts would be paid under the city's general fund budget.
Money for raises to the utility employees comes from the Municipal Utilities funds.
The utility contract also covers 100 percent of the cost of major medical coverage, vision and dental for individual plans.
It adds wording that anyone hired after Jan. 1, 2018, will work five days a week, eight hours a day.
Employees hired prior to that date had winter schedules of five days a week and summer schedules of four days a week, 10 hours a day.
Bach said he wants to move away from 10-hour days, and that anyone hired prior to Jan. 1 will have the option of changing their summer schedule.
By the numbers:
(selected positions)
Electric dept.
Journeyman lineman
2018 - $33.73 per hour
2020 - $36.48 per hour
Tree trimmer
2018 - $26.04
2020 - $28.16
Laborer, start
2018 - $13.57
2020 - $14.68
Water-sewer dept.
Line locator
2018 - $24.61
2020 - $26.61
Serviceman 1
2018 - $22.61
2020 - $24.45
Meter reader, 24 months
2018 - $21.91
2020 - $23.70
Meter reader, start
2018 - $14.25
2020 - $15.41