Most county employees are now working under a new contract settled recently between the commissioners and the service employees union. However, sheriff's deputies and administrative staff at the sheriff's office and in the courts continue contract negotiations with Butler County.

John Listisen, business manager and lead negotiator for Service Employees International Union Local 688, said the reason this group of employees, designated as the court-related employees, remains without a contract continues to be the two-tier wage system favored by the county commissioners.

If accepted by the union, Listisen said the wage system would lower the starting rate of sheriff's deputies from $22 per hour to $16 per hour. He said it would take new hires four years to earn the wages of existing deputies, adding that even then they would always earn 10 percent less.

The union does not feel Sheriff Mike Slupe would be able to hire qualified deputies at that starting rate.

“And if he can, the candidates will be bottom of the barrel,” Listisen said.

Listisen expects that such a low starting rate would cause a high turnover rate. He further pointed out that constant training of new deputies would cost the county more money in the long-run.

While other employees agreed to the two-tier system during negotiations, Listisen said court-related employees — which includes sheriff's deputies — did not. He feels the dangerous nature of the deputies' job entitles them to a higher starting wage. He said he tried to work with the county to remove sheriff's deputies from the court-related employee category to negotiate their contract separately, but has made no progress so far.

“To bring someone in at $16 an hour to do what they do, nowhere around here do they do that,” Listisen said.

Commissioners Chairman Leslie Osche said in March that the county must ensure that expenditures do not exceed revenues as they make decisions on behalf of taxpayers.

Osche reaffirmed their goal on Monday.

“Our goal is to ensure that the expenses don't outpace the revenue growth and we're in for the long run,” Osche said. “We believe this was achieved in negotiations and we're grateful to the bargaining units for helping us get there.”

“I understand they have to watch the budget, but I'm having a hard time justifying that,” Listisen said of the starting wage for deputies. “They protect the community.”

He said the county had a two-tier wage system in the early 2000s, but it was reversed in the next contract cycle.

Newly hired sheriff's deputies in Washington and Fayette counties make $22 and $15, respectively. Both counties are designated by the state as Fourth Class counties, same as Butler County, meaning the population is between 145,000 and 209,999,

Negotiations are ongoing between the county and SEIU Local 688.

Staff writer Nathan Bottiger contributed to this report.