Koochiching County ratifies multi‑year labor agreements, adds public health positions to union and approves central pension contributions

Koochiching County commissioners on July 8 ratified tentative agreements with multiple county bargaining units covering the 2025–2027 period.

County staff said the negotiated package provides a 3.5% wage increase in 2025 and 3% increases in 2026 and 2027 for the affected units. As part of an MOU tied to the agreements, eligible employees agreed to contribute to a central pension fund on an hourly basis: approximately $1.00 per hour in the first year, about $1.50 in 2026 and $2.00 in 2027 (amounts described during the meeting by county staff). County staff also described changes to promotional step language and classification seniority rules and said the bargaining units voted to ratify both the contract and the MOU.

County staff noted that two public health classifications (public health nurses and public health educators) that previously were not in the union will join the AFSCME bargaining unit effective with ratification. The county said department‑level seniority will be effective as of the ratification date and that classification seniority remains tied to hire date for promotional comparisons.

Commissioners thanked negotiating committees and staff for the work to finalize agreements. The board approved ratification motions by voice vote.

What the agreements mean: wage increases are phased across three years and employees will make limited hourly contributions to a central pension fund under the MOU; some job‑classification and promotion language was adjusted to ensure clearer step increases upon promotion.