AUBURN — Androscoggin County leaders hope the three-year battle over a contract with its largest union may finally be drawing to a close.

Commissioners voted 2-1 Wednesday in favor of a new offer, one that they can’t back out of if the union membership agrees to the deal. A vote of union members, including jail guards, dispatchers and patrol deputies, is expected early next week.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Commissioner Elaine Makas said Thursday. The ongoing negotiations, including mediators, fact-finding and complaints with the Maine Labor Relations Board, have exhausted both sides. “It’s been stressful on us and it’s stressful on our employees.”

How much time has been spent on contract negotiations?

Makas sighed. There were too many hours to count.

“It’s easier to answer when the hurricane will hit,” she joked.

Union representatives did not return calls Thursday. President Delbert Mason has declined to make public statements on the negotiation, saying he would speak when a new contract is signed.

If passed, the deal would cover the years 2009 to 2012, force all union members to convert to a cheaper health insurance plan and end the ongoing complaint with the state labor board.

It would also pay wage increases retroactively, totaling more than $700,000 in the county jail alone.

Commission Chairman Randall Greenwood, who voted against the contract offer, said that’s too much money for the county to be spending. He also opposed the deal’s failure to include 2013. 

“We’re going to start negotiating again in six months,” he said. “We haven’t accomplished what we set out to do.”

He has already alerted the other commissioners that he will not sign the contract.

“I will not put ink to that paper,” Greenwood said.

Commissioner Jonathan LaBonte, who voted for the offer, said there should be no concern by union members that the commission will back out on the deal.

Twice this spring, the union voted to ratify offers from the commissioners, offers that were later rescinded.

This vote was made in public and took the form of a formal ratification resolution. Once the union approves and withdraws its complaint with the labor board, a signing will be scheduled. But it will be purely ceremonial.

“We’ve already taken the vote to sign,” LaBonte said.

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