By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – McLean County now has all of its workers under contract.

The County Board on Tuesday approved a contract agreement with its corrections officers who are members of the Fraternal Order of Police.

The two-year deal gives 3 percent annual raises to its 65 members who have been working without a contract since their last three-year deal expired at the end of 2015.

County Administrator Bill Wasson said the county sought the shorter-term agreement, “due to our concerns about what may happen relative to the state’s budget and the impact on local governmental units.”

The county previously went to arbitration it its labor dispute with sheriff’s deputies, who ended up receiving 3 percent raises. Wasson said the county anticipated a similar outcome had the county chosen arbitration with the contract for corrections officers.

Wasson estimated the pay increases would cost the county $90,000 per year, which he said would likely by covered by employee attrition.

The county agreed in February to pay emergency dispatchers raises of 2.75 percent over two years. Highway department workers are getting raises of 2.5 percent.

The contracts for all three public safety unions expire at the end of 2017.

The County Board in November approved a 2017 budget which gave non-union workers salary increases of 1.75 percent.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].