Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Labor Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Highway workers complain of stalled negotiations, allege threats from county attorney
Summary
Highway Department union members told the DeWitt County Board they received a "first and final offer," accused the county attorney of threatening blanket terminations and possible arrests if members struck, and asked the Board for support in ongoing contract talks.
Rob Wickenhauser, one of four Highway Department union employees who addressed the DeWitt County Board on Aug. 21, said members felt negotiations stalled after the county sent a "first and final offer." He told the Board the union entered talks "with open minds but were not met with the same from the County," and that the county attorney "threatened with blanket termination" and mentioned members could be arrested if they struck.
Christina Deangelo, the AFSCME representative who said she has worked with the group for more than six years, told the board members several workers feared retaliation and read a prepared statement on their behalf. The statement, Deangelo said, criticized what union members perceive as a lack of Board engagement with their concerns and urged the Board to support county employees. Members noted they are required by the job to hold a State pesticide license and maintain a Class B commercial driver's license, and that two employees also use a Class A license to haul equipment to job sites.
The Board did not take a formal action on collective-bargaining demands during the meeting. The workers said they continue performing their duties despite the absence of a current contract.
