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AFSCME presses DeWitt County board to resume highway contract talks, cites wages and respect
Summary
At a DeWitt County board meeting, AFSCME regional director Dave Beck urged the board to direct its attorney to return to contract negotiations on behalf of highway department employees, citing wage disparities, treatment by county counsel and the county's highway fund balance.
Dave Beck, regional director for Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, urged the DeWitt County Board to direct county counsel to return to the bargaining table and reach a settlement for highway department employees.
Beck told the board the county's attorney has treated union negotiators and members with "contempt," used "bullying tactics" during federal-mediated sessions and tried to force agreement without allowing the union committee to consult its membership. "We are not at impasse," Beck said. "AFSCME stands ready to continue negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair both to our members and to the county."
Beck framed the dispute as one of both pay and respect. He asked the board to align highway workers' wages with the county's maintenance 2 classification, saying highway work requires multiple certifications, use of heavy equipment and is among "the most dangerous jobs in the country" per widely reviewed research. "The value that we place on an employee and the work that they perform is shown by how much we are willing to pay them," Beck said.
Beck also cited county budget figures to argue the proposed wage adjustment is affordable. He said the highway fund had nearly $1.5 million as of last August and that the fund had grown about 75% since 2022. He said the cost difference between the union's proposal and the county's offer would equal less than 2.5% of the highway fund and could be covered by money budgeted for an engineering technician position that has been vacant for several years.
A member of the board identified themself as a union member and recused themself from the discussion. A highway department employee asked the board to better understand the range of duties performed by highway staff and offered to provide monthly email reports outlining ongoing and completed projects to improve communication between the department and board members.
No formal board action on the contract negotiations was recorded during the meeting.
Beck left a business card and said he could remain after the meeting to answer follow-up questions.
The board's agenda later included multiple routine appointments and procurement votes (see "Votes at a glance" article).
