Northampton County Council approves Gracedale AFSCME term sheet with 3-year wage increases

The Northampton County Council on March 2025 approved a term sheet for a collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME covering Gracedale that includes a 4% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in year one, 3.5% in year two and 3% in year three, and changes to pay grades intended to expand hiring of in‑house nursing staff.

The term sheet, introduced by Councilmember Brown and adopted by roll call, passed unanimously, 8–0. Council members then approved a technical amendment to change a clerical date error from February to March before final adoption.

The term sheet implements pay‑scale restructuring McClure said will allow the county to hire more permanent employees and reduce reliance on agency nurses. “In year 1, there's a 4% COLA. In year 2, there's a 3.5% COLA. In year 3, there's a 3% COLA,” McClure said. He described reclassification that creates new intermediate pay grades (for example, moving certain employees on the existing pay grade 9 scale to a newly created pay grade 9B and similar changes to pay grade 4), and said experienced hires with five to 10 years of verifiable experience may be hired at higher steps on the new scales.

McClure told the council the pay‑grade changes cover licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and certified nurse aides (CNAs) in multiple part‑time and specialized roles and that the county will allow newly hired LPNs and CNAs with five to 10 years’ verifiable experience to start at step 5E of the new pay scales. McClure said these changes are being layered on top of a memorandum of understanding reached last year and are intended to reduce agency staffing use and, over time, lower Gracedale’s operating costs even as wages rise.

The resolution text cited the Northampton County Charter section 2 0 2 12 in its whereas clauses and directed that the attached term sheet be approved; the resolution text in the record contained a clerical reference to February that the council amended to March before final adoption.

Votes at a glance Approve minutes of the Feb. 20, 2025 meeting — motion passed by voice vote during roll call; formal tally not recorded in the public transcript. Approval of AFSCME–Gracedale term sheet (resolution) — adopted by roll call, 8–0.

The council did not discuss a specific budget line or provide an immediate cost estimate in the meeting for the three‑year COLAs; McClure characterized the contract as the next step in a multi‑part approach that includes prior memoranda and operational changes aimed at reducing agency staffing use.

Council President and councilmembers participated in the roll call that recorded unanimous approval for the resolution. The resolution as read into the record included the county charter reference and the attached term sheet marked as exhibit A.