BUTLER TWP — The union representing roughly 200 workers at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center continues to fight the facility’s pending sale by Butler County.

SEIU Healthcare conducted a union vote Tuesday in which a majority approved the counterproposal initially submitted to the county three weeks ago for consideration.

However, county officials maintain the only way to avoid a sale, which they say is needed due to Sunnyview’s annual deficit, was for the union to accept a concessions offer rejected by its members Oct. 15.

Tamara Lefcowitz, administrative organizer for SEIU Healthcare, said the union counteroffer addresses the nursing home’s financial problems.

“All they have to do is sign on the dotted line and they have more than $1 million,” Lefcowitz said.

According to Lefcowitz, most of those savings would occur in 2014.

The county projects Sunnyview will have a more than $1 million deficit for 2014, but $205,000 of that total is listed under building depreciation.

Consequently, the county would subsidize $838,452 of Sunnyview’s total $20 million budget.

Among the union’s approved concessions under a reopened contract were taking a wage freeze in 2014 and a 2 percent pay hike in 2015.

However, county Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, said it’s too late to reverse course.

“We’ve moved past that,” McCarrier said.

The commissioners voted 2 to 1 last week to issue a request for proposals from prospective buyers, which must bid at least $13.5 million by Dec. 13.

Commissioner Dale Pinkerton, who sided with McCarrier in last week’s vote, agreed there’s no going back.

“We’re far enough down the path,” Pinkerton said. “Personally, I’m not changing.”

Commissioner Jim Eckstein, the sole board member opposing a Sunnyview sale, said his colleagues should accept the union counteroffer.

“I absolutely think they ought to accept the proposal,” Eckstein said.

Under the current four-year pact that ends December 2014, workers receive a 3 percent pay hike in each year. The union proposal also increases employee contributions for health coverage from the current 1.5 percent paycheck deduction to 15 percent of the premium in 2014 and 20 percent in 2015.

Under that proposal, the total employee contribution would be $437,330 in 2014, saving the county $309,430, and $524,238 in 2015, saving $396,338.

The counteroffer also accepts a reduction in vacation days as long as sick days are not cut.

Lefcowitz said the vote Tuesday pre-ratifies the union proposal, so the county knows there would be no possibility of it not passing.

“We eliminated that uncertainty today,” she said.

Lefcowitz said a new two-year agreement would be contingent upon the county not selling Sunnyview for the life of the contract.

She would not disclose the vote tally.

“We’re not going to release the numbers,” Lefcowitz said.

According to Lefcowitz, the union would drop an unfair labor practice complaint against the county with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board if the counteroffer is accepted.

McCarrier reiterated it’s too late to consider the offer.

Eckstein credited Sunnyview workers for being willing to accept concessions.

“They really gave up a lot,” Eckstein said. “I think they’ve gone overboard to do the right thing for the residents and for the community as a whole.”

The 7-acre parcel up for sale does not include other county buildings, including the 911 dispatch center and the one housing District Judge Kevin O’Donnell’s office.