Lackawanna County approves four-year SEIU contract projected to save $2.2 million
January 02, 2026 | Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
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The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners voted on Dec. 30, 2025, to approve Resolution 25-0312, a collective bargaining agreement with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) covering roughly 300 county employees and effective retroactively from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2028.
County officials framed the agreement as a key step in stabilizing county finances. "This agreement is a game changer for the county's finances and a clear signal that the county has turned a corner," said Speaker 4, describing an independent PFM analysis that identified employee health-care costs among the largest county expenditures. Speaker 3, reading the resolution, said the pact covers about 300 members.
Why it matters: speakers said employee health insurance ranks among the county's largest expenditures, second only to salaries. Speaker 4 cited line-item figures in the county budget, noting health-care costs were about $25,400,000 — roughly 15% of the general fund in the year cited — and emphasized volatility in health costs, which in some years have risen by as much as 25 percent. "By modernizing the county's health care plan ... this agreement finally brings predictability and sustainability to one of our biggest budget pressures," Speaker 4 said.
What the agreement does: the resolution, as read into the record, ratifies the SEIU contract with specified start and end dates and adopts accompanying changes to the county's nonunion health plan. County officials said the combination of contract terms and parallel health-plan reforms is projected to produce approximately $2,200,000 in savings over the four-year term.
Board action: Speaker 1 called for the question, the motion to approve carried by voice vote and the board recorded ayes from multiple members. The resolution text was adopted at this special meeting of the board of commissioners of Lackawanna County held on Dec. 30, 2025.
Background and next steps: Speakers thanked negotiators and staff, including references to former HR director Matt Carmody and Joanne Decker for their work on the agreement. The agreement takes effect retroactively as stated in the resolution; implementation will proceed through the county's human-resources and finance offices.
County officials framed the agreement as a key step in stabilizing county finances. "This agreement is a game changer for the county's finances and a clear signal that the county has turned a corner," said Speaker 4, describing an independent PFM analysis that identified employee health-care costs among the largest county expenditures. Speaker 3, reading the resolution, said the pact covers about 300 members.
Why it matters: speakers said employee health insurance ranks among the county's largest expenditures, second only to salaries. Speaker 4 cited line-item figures in the county budget, noting health-care costs were about $25,400,000 — roughly 15% of the general fund in the year cited — and emphasized volatility in health costs, which in some years have risen by as much as 25 percent. "By modernizing the county's health care plan ... this agreement finally brings predictability and sustainability to one of our biggest budget pressures," Speaker 4 said.
What the agreement does: the resolution, as read into the record, ratifies the SEIU contract with specified start and end dates and adopts accompanying changes to the county's nonunion health plan. County officials said the combination of contract terms and parallel health-plan reforms is projected to produce approximately $2,200,000 in savings over the four-year term.
Board action: Speaker 1 called for the question, the motion to approve carried by voice vote and the board recorded ayes from multiple members. The resolution text was adopted at this special meeting of the board of commissioners of Lackawanna County held on Dec. 30, 2025.
Background and next steps: Speakers thanked negotiators and staff, including references to former HR director Matt Carmody and Joanne Decker for their work on the agreement. The agreement takes effect retroactively as stated in the resolution; implementation will proceed through the county's human-resources and finance offices.
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