Health Dept. employees file labor complaint

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2007/08/26/helena/a010826_03.txt

By LARRY KLINE, IR Staff Writer - 08/26/07

City-County Health Department employees have filed an unfair labor practice complaint and a grievance against the county, claiming they didn’t receive a cost-of-living raise guaranteed under their contract.

A union representative said the employees were not notified they would not be receiving the 3.2 percent increase. The raise simply didn’t appear in paychecks last month.

The grievance is working its way through a contractually delegated process and may go to binding arbitration in a few weeks. The state Board of Personnel Appeals has asked the county and union to work through the grievance process. The matter may come before the board again after other options have been exhausted.

The disagreement boils down to the interpretation of a vote taken by union members in June. The Montana Public Employees Association claims the vote, which failed, was only for the ratification of a market analysis, which would have set additional pay increases for some workers in certain job descriptions.

Lewis and Clark County Human Resources Director Fred Rice maintains the vote also included the across-the-board increase.

“The agreement is rather unclear about whether or not the (raise) is subject to negotiation,” he said.

FULL story at link.