Carbon County’s 19 unionized court-related employees have a new, three-year contract that boosts wages by 3 percent each year.

Commissioners on Thursday approved the contract with AFSCME, AFL-CIO District Council 87 Local 2483.

Human Resources Director Dawn M. Bowman said the contract covers adult and juvenile probation officers, and domestic relations officers.

The contract is retroactive to Jan. 1 and expires Dec. 31, 2021.

Under the previous contract, the average pay was $20.67 an hour, with rates ranging from $15 to $33.02 an hour.

Under the new contract, the average wage is $21.22 an hour, with hourly rates ranging from $15 to $34.01.

Probation officers start at $15; domestic relations officers start at $14.05, she said.

Commissioner William J. O’Gurek said the contract also increases the amount employees pay for health benefits by $5 per pay.

Bowman said the health premiums will increase by $5 each year of the contract.

O’Gurek said it’s “likely then that non-union employees can expect that to be a future action of this board, to have employees start to contribute a little bit more toward insurance.”

Before the new contract, unionized employees paid $33.50 for a single person; $43.50 for a spouse and $53.50 for families.

The copay for prescription drugs will increase by $5 and by $2 for generic drugs.