Teamsters declare impasse; county employees allege retaliation and demand outside investigation

Ruth Duarte, a representative of Teamsters Local 542, told the Imperial County Board of Supervisors on July 22 that the union is declaring impasse in negotiations with the county and intends to pursue statutorily prescribed impasse procedures.

Duarte told the board, “we are declaring impasse in the ongoing negotiations between the County of Imperial and the bargaining units represented by Teamsters Local 542,” and said the union will file the required documentation with the Public Employment Relations Board if talks do not resume. She also said the union believes county management has been contacting former employees and retirees to serve as extra help in advance of a potential strike, an action she said “undermine[s] the bargaining process.”

The union’s notice came during the closed‑session public comment period and was followed during open session by multiple employees and former colleagues who…