Mercer County, Pa. - The Mercer County deputies are working without a renewed contact, after the union failed to come to a contract agreement with the county.

Now, the deputies under the Mercer County Deputy Sheriff's Association (MCDSA) are preparing to go back to the table with the county commissioners to negotiate next year's contract.

“They just had one last meeting just about a month ago, and now negotiations have come to a stop. They did not agree on it, and now we're gonna have to wait until May again,” said Tim Callahan, Mercer County Sheriff.

The disagreements surround health insurance premiums and vacation time. One suggestion by the commissioners was to give a different amount of vacation time to the new hires. The union feels the two-tier system would cause problems.

“Obviously that creates bitterness and dissension among the employees, because they know that the older employees sold them out in contract negotiations,” said Ernie Orsatti, attorney with Quatrini Law Group who represents the MCDSA.

Deputies cannot strike by law, but there are other avenues to getting the negotiations done if the county and union fail to come to an agreement.

Orsatti said the union would have to file for arbitration. This would allow a board to decide the terms of the 2027 contract.

“What this three member panel does is here's the evidence presented by both sides at a hearing, and then reconvene at an executive session and decide those disputed issues and create a new collective bargaining agreement,” said Orsatti.

“Their whole job is to be a neutral third party who hears both sides of the case and helps to resolve issues. That's why it's important, when we have a interest arbitration panel, there's one arbitrator that's appointed from the union side, one arbitrator that's appointed from the county side and a neutral. So the three arbitrators are able to work together to come to a common consensus of what can be included in the contract that's agreeable to both sides,” said Casey Seaman, attorney with Quatrini Law Group who represents the MCDSA.

The Mercer County Commissioners sent a statement:

"The Mercer County Board of Commissioners commenced negotiations with the deputies last summer and had multiple negotiation sessions. 

Both parties negotiated in good faith to try to reach an agreement, but ultimately we reached an impasse when the Union did not accept what we believe are two reasonable offers:

  1. Wage increases and health insurance premium sharing consistent with what other County employees receive.  
  2. Changes to the vacation schedule for new hires to get them on the same vacation schedule as every other group of county union and non-union employees. This would result in a two-tier vacation schedule for sheriff deputies.

 The County remains willing to meet with them to negotiate a contract, but they have not asked for a meeting since the end of last year.”