Union asks Winnebago County to add Columbus Day for secondary roads; board agrees to open contract

Shane Rocco, representing the Winnebago County Workmen's Association, asked the board to add Columbus Day to the secondary roads bargaining agreement after the courthouse adopted the holiday for courthouse staff.

Rocco told supervisors his members had learned through emails that courthouse staff received a new holiday and requested parity for secondary roads staff. Board members discussed how adding the holiday would affect scheduling and parity with other departments, including sheriff's deputies and dispatch, and whether the same number of holidays would be preserved by swapping other dates.

The board voted to open the secondary roads contract for the limited purpose of inserting Columbus Day and directed staff to place the sheriff's and dispatchers' contracts on a future agenda to consider the same change. Meeting minutes record: "Motion from Doreen and Seckerman Smith to open up the secondary [roads] contract to extend the Columbus Day holiday to them also," and the motion passed by voice vote.

The county clerk and contract staff will prepare the agenda language and return the item for formal ratification during the contract update process; one board member noted that a straightforward agenda placement would allow the holiday to be in effect by the next Columbus Day if the contract process is completed in time.