Union News
Teamsters Local Union 320
Waseca County Deputies Interest Arbitration Award
Teamsters Local No. 320 arbitrated the contract of the Waseca County Deputies on September 28, 2005. Contract negotiations had stalled over the County's insistence on a wage freeze for the first six months of the contract (which began January 1, 2004) and the elimination of the supplemental insurance benefit for new employees. All other County employees had accepted (or were given) the wage freeze.
The Union argued that the wage freeze was unfair for numerous reasons. First, few of the comparable jurisdictions had given wage freezes in 2004. Second, the deputies were already below the average for their comparable group. Third, and most important, the County had five huge increases to the non-union supervisory staff in 2005. That fact, coupled with the County's high unreserved fund balance, clearly showed that there was no economic reason for the wage freeze.
The Arbitrator agreed that the wage freeze was unacceptable. She awarded a slightly lower percentage increase than that requested by the Union, but she made it effective January 1, 2004. As of this writing, the deputies are the only County employees who will receive a pay increase that will date back to the beginning of 2004.
The Arbitrator also agreed with th Union on the issue of supplemental insurance. Since the County brought forward the proposal to eliminate this long-standing benefit for new employees, it had the burden of demonstrating a need for the change with clear and compelling evidence. The Arbitrator found that County had provided reasons why it would like the language to change, but no compelling reasons for a need to change the language. Therefore, she refused to award the County's position.
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