North Canton adopts three-year contract with service employees union

North Canton City Council on April 28 adopted an emergency resolution approving a three-year collective bargaining agreement between the city and the North Canton Service Employees, the union that represents most public works employees. The council approved the measure so the new contract could take effect May 1, the day after the prior agreement expired on April 30.

The contract — negotiated by city administration and union representatives and presented to council at the meeting — sets annual wage increases of 3 percent, 3.5 percent and 3.5 percent over the three years; shortens step progression to top pay from 20 years to 15 years; adds requirements and timelines for commercial driver’s license (CDL) acquisition; expands comp-time options in lieu of overtime pay; and includes a modest longevity payment for eligible employees.

City negotiators said the measures balance retention and recruitment needs for a workforce with many newer employees. Kathy Farina, a city staff member who presented the agreement to council, summarized the wage package during the meeting: "We ended up with a 3, 3 and a half, 3 and a half, so it's a 3 year contract." Farina also described changes to the job classification ladder, noting the city removed an ambiguous "general labor" category and created service worker levels 1–5 to better align pay with duties and experience.

Why it matters: the contract covers the city’s street, sewer, water, parks, buildings and other service operations — functions officials said are essential to public safety and day-to-day city operations. Council approved the contract under emergency to avoid a lapse in labor coverage and to prevent retroactive uncertainty for pay and staffing while negotiations would otherwise continue.

Key provisions discussed at the meeting - Wage increases: 3% (year 1), 3.5% (year 2), 3.5% (year 3). - Step progression: time to top step shortened from 20 years to 15 years; requirement of a CDL class A to attain top service-worker level. - CDL timeline: new hires will be expected to obtain a CDL within one year, with a mandatory sign-up for a CDL class within six months. - Comp time: employees may elect comp time (1½ hours off for each hour of overtime) in some cases rather than overtime pay to improve work–life balance, a concession officials said younger workers valued. - Overtime and sick leave counting: the agreement allows certain paid sick hours to be counted as hours worked for overtime-calculation purposes so employees called in on weekends after sick leave are eligible for overtime pay under Fair Labor Standards Act calculations. - Longevity: a modest longevity payment ($75 per year after five years of service) was reinstated for eligible employees; city staff said only a handful of union members currently qualify. - Vacation for lateral hires: the city will standardize vacation accruals for lateral hires to a two‑week starting vacation level, rather than matching prior employer accruals.

Council process and outcome Council introduced the resolution approving the agreement and then adopted it under suspension as an emergency so the new contract would begin May 1. The resolution’s title read, in part, "a resolution approving the collective bargaining agreement between the city of North Canton and the North Canton Service Employees...and declaring the same to be an emergency." The motion to adopt passed by voice vote during the meeting.

Discussion and context City staff framed the agreement as a negotiated compromise. Administrators said roughly 48 percent of the represented workforce has under five years of service and about 75 percent have under 15 years, which shaped the emphasis on faster step progression and recruitment incentives. Staff also told council the 2025 budget anticipated the increase and that no additional appropriation would be required immediately.

Next steps The council adopted the resolution at the April 28 meeting; administration will implement the agreement beginning May 1 and incorporate the contract provisions into payroll and human-resources workflows.