What began as a tense moment ended in a win-win situation after Franklin Township approved a new five-year pact for its clerical staff.

On a unanimous measure, supervisors on Tuesday ratified the agreement between the township and the Teamsters Local 773 representing the secretaries/clerical employees for the time period of Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2027.

The contract includes the offering of buyouts for insurance; a $1 an hour increase in the first year of the contract, with a 3% increase in years two through five; and a $1,000 signing bonus that was given.

Resident Ty Poole initially broached the matter, and following some discussion, supervisors went into executive session to discuss the topic.

Board Chairman Fred Kemmerer noted that it was addressed in the union contract.

“Right now, we’re at the mercy of the previous boards’ contract,” Kemmerer said. “We’re doing the right thing by (township secretary) Brenda (Cressley); there’s a means to an end.”

Poole said he believes that should have never went down, as that was on account of the previous board of supervisors.

“It’s something that should have been dealt with years ago,” Poole said. “Brenda does a great job.”

Supervisor Jason Frey shared his thoughts.

“I think it’s a very good contract, (it’s) fair to our secretaries,” Frey said. “As long as there’s an ends to the means.”

Frey then thanked Cressley, Christine Green, and part-time secretary Nancy Koch, whom he said “do a fantastic job.”

After the meeting, Kemmerer explained where the split came in to play.

“The key rift between all of us was there was a at-will position that is appointed every year and all townships do this at (their) reorganization meeting, (is that) an appointed position is in a union which limits the ability to operate like a township should,” he said. “One of the key things in moving forward with the contract, we’re all in agreement that a previous administration when the contract was in put that at-will position into the union, but because it was already in, we afforded Brenda the opportunity to maintain the status of being in the union and being (in the) at-will position until the duration of her employment.

“After the duration of her employment, then at that point this contract will only be for the one secretary and then a new hire. We fixed the wrongs of a previous administration, and we’re back on track to where it’s supposed to be where at-will employees are not part of the union.

“We like Brenda, it’s not any ill-will toward Brenda, but we want to make sure the next administrations aren’t hampered by the wrong decisions of previous boards.”

Kemmerer added that the township hired contract counsel “to help us through where we made sure we did the right thing, to make sure we’re doing it perfectly correct.”

“Everybody won from this thing,” he said. “We are affording the employee that opportunity to not be penalized by government’s decisions in the past or government’s decisions now.”