County approves two-year contract with corrections union, adds Juneteenth holiday

Crow Wing County approved on June 24 a tentative two-year labor agreement with Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS) Local 16, which represents roughly 49 correctional officers.

Human-resources representative Amy Fisher outlined key terms: a market-aligned pay plan with a 2.5% range increase in 2025 and a 3% range increase in 2026; additional 2% range movement and performance-based pay adjustments in 2025; Juneteenth added as a paid holiday; expanded bereavement language to include life partners; changes to PTO accrual that allow higher initial PTO accrual for recruitment; an increase in health-care savings contributions and a deferred-compensation match; training-pay and shift-differential increases; and inclusion of cannabis in drug-and-alcohol testing language. Fisher said the parties settled a two-year contract to align the group’s schedule with other bargaining units and create an off year without contracts.

"The tentative agreement includes the market aligned pay plan with the range increase of 2.5 percent for 2025 and a 3% range increase for 2026," Fisher said. The board authorized entering the agreement effective Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2026 and authorized the chair, HR manager, county sheriff and county administrator to sign.

Why it matters: the contract affects corrections staffing costs and benefits and was presented as a recruitment and retention measure (higher starting PTO accrual and pay adjustments). The board approved the agreement by motion and voice vote.

Next steps: authorized signatories will execute the agreement and implementation will proceed under the sheriff’s and HR offices.