Arbitration Stalemate Continues Between Grant County and AFSCME Local 2516

Category: Editorials Editorials
Published: 14 December 2023 14 December 2023

In a protracted dispute that has been ongoing since October 2022, the arbitration between Grant County and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 2516 has hit a roadblock, with five crucial articles, including Overtime, Holidays, Disciplinary Action, Wages, and Terms of Agreement, yet to be decided. Multiple attempts in the past 3 years have been made to complete negotiations with Grant County, however each attempt was denied due to lack of participation by Grant County manager(s) that were in office at the time.

Negotiations between Grant County and AFSCME have been marked by tension and many rescheduled negotiation sessions, ultimately leading to an impasse in August 2023. In a bid to break the deadlock, a mediator was brought in. Unfortunately, the mediation process failed to yield a resolution, leading to the selection of an arbitrator in October 2023.

The arbitrator, having been chosen, proffered dates for a hearing scheduled for the month of December 2023. These dates also came with the option to have an arbitration hearing in person or have a remote hearing to expedite the process. However, Grant County has thrown a spanner in the works by refusing to agree to any of the proposed dates, expressing a desire to extend the arbitration hearing until February 2024. The Union currently stands against this, citing that both parties and the selected arbitrator have a legal obligation to conduct the arbitration hearing within 30 days of the arbitrator's selection (Public Employee Labor Relations Board 10-7E-18).

During recent public Commissioner meetings, Grant County unilaterally approved the holiday of Juneteenth and a new pay scale, but for non-bargaining contract employees only. Only new hires and managerial employees received the paid holiday off and have been given raises based on the newly implemented pay scale. AFSCME Local 2516 sought to have these benefits extended to all county employees but was met with resistance. Grant County, instead of addressing the concerns separately, proposed bundling them into their version of a final contract. Bargaining contract employees encompass most of the workforce at Grant County, including employees from the following departments: airport, assessor's office, clerk's office, detention center, maintenance, road department, sheriff's office and treasurer's office,

AFSCME Local 2516 remains steadfast in its commitment to securing a fair and equitable contract that addresses the concerns of all its members. It is their goal to complete this arbitration as fast as possible, allowing the bargaining contract employees of Grant County to receive their well-earned and needed pay raise along with the benefits that come with the finalization of the Bargaining Contract. In a recent study conducted by Grant County, most employee positions were found to be underpaid. Bargaining contract employees are patiently waiting for Grant County to respond in an effort to complete the arbitration hearing. Other counties and municipalities around the area are continuing to offer competitive wages while Grant County is only offering the new pay scale those not listed as bargaining contract employees.

The upcoming hearing, whenever it takes place, is anticipated to be a pivotal moment in determining the terms that will govern the relationship between Grant County and its workforce. The extended waiting period requested by Grant County has added another layer of uncertainty to an already complex and protracted negotiation process.

~AFSCME Local 2516~

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.