LEWISTON – A city program rewarding employees for making healthy choices will expand, according to labor contracts councilors signed Tuesday.

Employees must meet four health criteria to qualify for a 15 percent premium credit, according to the new contracts. They’d have to agree to attend a medical screening, exercise, lose weight and quit smoking to get the credit.

Councilors approved three labor contracts Tuesday night, signing deals with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union representing the city’s public works crews, the Lewiston Police Supervisory Command Unit and Maine State Employees Association representing the city’s clerical staff.

Human Resources Director Denis Jean said the city is still negotiating contracts with three other unions: The Maine Association of Police, the International Association of Firefighters and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees professional-technical unit.

Union contracts for all six municipal unions expired in June. Those cover most of the city’s 375 employees. All but 22 department managers and deputies are members of one of the unions.

“Each contract is different, but there are common themes among all of them,” Jean said. Paying for insurance premiums is one thing all contracts have in common.

The city increased the employees’ share of health care costs in 2005, agreeing to pay them back 15 percent of their premiums if they agreed to meet at least two of four health care criteria – attending a health screening, joining an exercise program, losing weight or quitting smoking.

Employees will pay up to 25 percent of their health insurance premiums, under the new contract. That amounts to about $75.63 per week beginning in January. Employees can reduce their weekly premium share to $30.25 if they meet the health care goals.

The new contract is also more stringent, requiring employees to meet all four requirements to get the discount.

The new contracts also give employees an average cost-of-living increase of 2.2 percent.