NORWICH – Four nurse supervisors of the Chenango County Public Health Department requested an 8 percent raise Tuesday in order to offset the higher compensation paid to some of their charges.

The nurses, representing 77 years of professional services in the county, said their staff’s union successfully negotiated a large contract increase last year that, effectively, earned them more than their non-unioned managers.

“We are pleased with the contract because we are able to hire better nurses and keep people. We have attracted two who are excellent. We have no issue with that. ... Our salaries are unfair compared to the staff’s,” Director of Patient Services Marianne Kirsch told members of the Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday.

Supervising Community Health Nurse Susan Converse said she is currently making $3,000 less as a nurse manager than she did when she earned overtime.

“I’ve worked a lot more hours this year than I did before, I can tell you that,” she said. Converse was a staff nurse for 12 years prior to being promoted.