New public works contract ratified by Union County. Labor negotiations between county and Local 701 union members completed
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, December 5th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – During a regular commission meeting on Wednesday, December 4, the Union County Board of Commissioners officially ratified a new contract agreement between the county and Union County Public Works Employees, represented by their union, Local 701. The union accepted the new contract in a 10-yes 6-no vote, concluding several months of negotiations.
According to Peter Ullrey, Field Representative and Apprenticeship Coordinator for Local 701, this represents the fourth contract vote since negotiations initially began back in April, with three prior contract proposals being rejected. The public works employees themselves had technically been operating without a contract since July 2024. According to Peter, however, the previous contract was still adhered to while negotiations were ongoing for the sake of continuing regular operations.
Actual changes in the new contract broadly include:
- A two-dollar-an-hour wage increase for public works employees
- An increase in the annual boot allowance for public works employees
- Minor changes to the payout procedure for employee medical procedure
According to Peter, the employees are overall satisfied with the agreement but are eager to see additional changes in future negotiations. As of now, however, negotiations are settled, and the contract will go into effect for 2024 through 2027. Though there have been some public fears and rumors of a potential strike, Peter assured Elkhorn Media Group that negotiations are resolved, and public works will continue operating as normal, stating:
“Now that the contract negotiations have settled, and contracts voted in, everything continues as normal. Employees will be back to work and there won’t be any work stoppages.”
Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes also gave a brief statement on the conclusion of negotiations:
“I certainly value our employees at Public Works. That’s one of my areas of responsibility, and I know how incredibly hard they work. I’m glad we were able to come to an agreement.”
