County workers to strike March 15
On Friday, county employees announced their intent to strike March 15 after negotiations for wage increases have extended for months.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 668 said they notified Butler County Commissioners of their planned strike in an effort to receive a fair contract.
According to Eric Dodd, chair of the chapter, which includes Butler County workers, the human services and maintenance workers who will be striking worked diligently during the pandemic and were there when the community needed them most.
"We deserve a fair contract with living wages and increases that reflect the rising cost of living due to inflation. Since Butler County representatives are unwilling to address the reality of our needs and concerns, we have decided to strike,“ he said.
More than 97 percent of votes cast by the Butler members authorized the strike, which could affect offices like Children and Youth Services and the Area Agency on Aging. Dodd said more than 200 people are members of the Butler group.
County officials were made aware of a potential strike earlier this week, according to Chris Gabriel, the county’s chief negotiator. A tentative meeting with union representatives has been scheduled for next week, he said.
“The county offered (SEIU) a settlement that’s more than what’s been offered to any other bargaining unit,” he said.
Gabriel explained that unions represent different types of county employees, and that contracts with the other groups have been settled already.
“What’s been offered is the best (wage package) of all of them,” Gabriel said. “It’s not clear what exactly they want.”
Negotiations with the union representatives began nearly nine months ago, according to Gabriel, in preparation for the expiration of the 2022 contract on Dec. 31. Those negotiations included percentage wage increases for workers.
“When a contract expires, employers are required to preserve the status quo, but economic issues need (to be) worked out before people can receive a wage increase,” he said.
According to Gabriel, strikes of this type are not common, as the county workers involved are under the state’s Act 195, or the Public Employee Relations Act. This act states that employers cannot pay their workers or continue their health care while they’re on strike.
A statement from the SEIU chapter said negotiations have “eroded the workers’ trust” in the county.
“The union will continue to pursue every opportunity to re-establish a productive conversation and demonstrate our commitment to good-faith collective bargaining,” SEIU said.
“The commissioners do want a contract settlement and for the employees to get a nice wage package,” Gabriel said. “If you offer more than what everyone else is getting and can’t get an understandable proposal back, it’s very difficult for us to do anything else.”
County commissioners Leslie Osche and Kevin Boozel declined to comment, and commissioner Kim Geyer could not be reached for comment.
