After four and a half years of negotiating, Schuylkill County commissioners on Wednesday signed contracts with three branches of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees unions.

The contracts cover 91 courthouse employees, 119 employees at the county nursing home at Rest Haven, and 27 employees at the Office of Senior Services.The contracts, which run from 2011 through 2016, offer modest wage increases and double the cost of employee contributions to health benefits.The cost to employees for health benefits rose to $32.50 per pay period for this year; and will rise to $40 next year and $45 in 2016.The contract with AFSCME Local 1512, for the courthouse employees, is effective from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2016. It provides wage increases of 3 percent in each of the years.The contract for AFSCME Local 1712, for Rest Haven employees, is effective from Jan. 1, 2012, through Dec. 31, 2016.It also provides for 3 percent wage increases in each of the years.AFSCME representative Jo Waugh-Derk, who negotiated for the Rest Haven employees, said she's "just glad it's finally finished."We reached a happy medium. The county got what it wanted for the health care, and we got a bit of a raise," she said.Waugh-Derk said the health care increase should not be taken lightly.Most of Rest Haven's employees earn low wages."When you make $8 an hour, that's a big chunk out of your paycheck," she said.The contract for the Office of Senior Services, also AFSCME 1512, provides for a 3 percent wage increase for 2011, followed by 3.5 percent increases in each subsequent year. It is effective from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2016.The state reimburses 100 percent of the Office of Senior Services employees' wages, county human services director Martina A. Chwastiak said.Commissioners and county solicitor Al Marshall were pleased, and relieved, that the pacts were finally inked."It's something I'm sure the employees are glad to see, and the commissioners," said commissioners chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier. "It was a joint effort on both parts."Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr. said the contracts were a team effort."Our negotiating team did an outstanding job. They understand what the responsibilities are that we have to be accountable to the taxpayers."They have worked together on a very positive basis to get these resolved. I give our legal team, our management team, our negotiation team, a lot of credit," Halcovage said."I think we came to a common ground, both management and labor. Hopefully we can continue with a good working relationship going forward. This is good for our citizens, good for our employees, because our employees are working for the citizens of this county, and the citizens rely on this being done in an efficient and finically responsible manner, Commissioner Gary J. Hess said."We're very happy the contract negotiations have concluded. I think we have a fair agreement with the unions," Marshall said.With three contracts now settled, the county continues to negotiate with other unions, including one that represents employees of the Children and Youth Services agency.