Whatcom County workers who respond to floods and plow the roads are demanding better pay and better leadership from their county bosses.
The union representing about 60 employees in county maintenance and operations has needed to file “several grievances with the county,” according to a July 25 letter to county Executive Satpal Sidhu, signed by 34 members of Teamsters Local 231.
Recent new hires on the public works crew that maintains the county’s 960 miles of roads received a higher starting wage than previous hires, even though they had no experience and no commercial driver’s license, the letter said.
“Leadership decisions have been made that violate our collective bargaining agreement,” the letter said, “and leave us feeling demoralized and defeated.”
In an Oct. 3 letter, Sidhu responded that a “leadership void” at the Central Shop was being addressed. Vacant superintendent and assistant superintendent positions were being filled, and Public Works Director Jon Hutchings was working out of the shop two days a week. Hutchings has since resigned.
Maintenance and operations has nine full-time vacancies as of Feb. 6, according to human resources.
Meanwhile, maintenance and operations employees say their wages aren’t keeping pace with the cost of living in Whatcom County. Five employees from the division addressed their concerns to county council members at a Jan. 24 meeting.
“When we ask for a decent living wage, we’re denied every time,” public works employee Mark Stremler told the council. “I’m sure we can all agree, the cost of living in Whatcom County is at an all-time high.”
Dozens of employees in county maintenance and operations, along with hundreds of others across all county departments, are working on an expired union contract. Negotiations with management have stalled, and a state mediator will attempt to bring the two sides together beginning in April, according to statements from Teamsters Local 231 and the county human resources department.
“I don’t want to bargain the agreement in the press,” said Rich Ewing, the local Teamsters secretary-treasurer, when reached by phone on Feb. 6. “I will tell you that the concerns of the Teamster members that work at the county continue to fall on deaf ears. Our issues and concerns are not being taken seriously.”
Negotiations between management and the Teamsters, on behalf of 489 county employees, have resulted in “tentative agreement” over several issues, the human resources statement said. Many economic issues remain unresolved, the county said.
“Remaining at or above market-competitive wages is our goal in wage negotiations,” the human resources statement said. “The county remains committed to good-faith bargaining at the table and is optimistic mediation will be productive and agreement will be reached.”
