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Union representatives tell Benton County commissioners bargaining stalled; demand pay parity
Summary
Union leaders and county employees urged the board to intervene in stalled bargaining, asserted management refused meaningful counters and filed unfair labor practice complaints, and asked the county to ensure pay parity for equal work.
Union members and bargaining‑team representatives told the Benton County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 1 that contract talks with county management have stalled and that the union has moved its dispute to the Employment Relations Board.
Dawn Dale, identifying herself as “the president of ASKme Local 20 64,” said the bargaining team had gone to mediation and that management "reported they had no more counters to give us." She asked the board to participate directly in future labor‑management meetings and to ensure that "whether you are non rep or union, employees doing the same work should be paid the same amount." Dale said the union filed with the Employment Relations Board at 5:30 p.m. the previous night.
A separate speaker who said they serve as Benton County’s health equity coordinator and as a union trustee described hardships experienced by county employees — including difficulty affording basic expenses and paying for medical care — and said past public comment had not produced progress in bargaining. Joseph Moore, who said he is chief steward for Benton County Local 20 64, quantified recent salary increases for several managers and criticized the county’s proposed wage structure as favoring higher‑paid staff over lower‑paid employees: “That’s just raises a hundred and $125,000 a year in taxpayer funds for them to bulwark us and stonewall us for the last 10 months,” he said.
Board members did not take immediate action at the meeting. Commissioners thanked speakers for their comments and acknowledged the seriousness of the concerns. No management spokesperson provided a substantive response during public comment; county staff later presented several personnel and grievance items elsewhere on the agenda.
Next steps: the speakers said the union has pursued formal filings with the Employment Relations Board. Commission discussion on labor‑management roles was not resolved at this meeting.
