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By Drew Lawson
The Times 

Teamsters negotiations remain unresolved

 

Last updated 11/11/2021 at 6:39pm



DAVENPORT—The latest round of negotiations on Monday, Nov. 8 between Lincoln County and Teamsters 690, which represents the Sheriff’s Office’s commissioned and non-commissioned officers, once again ended with no agreement on a new contract that’s been discussed since open negotiations began this summer.

Most of Monday’s discussion revolved around medical provisions for employee’s families. Currently, the county is willing to spend up to $820 in deductibles on medical insurance, a rate that’s been rising in years as accrual rates have gone up.

Teamsters is asking for the $820 figure plus a provision for employee’s spouses and children. It’s a request the county says it can’t afford.

The discussion on the contract’s language led to the commissioned officers and Teamsters taking a 45-minute private sidebar, a condition that was given when Teamsters agreed to negotiate a new contract in a public meeting for the first time in five years this summer. The Teamsters returned to say they needed to investigate the language further before reaching a final agreement.

The two sides also held discussion about out-of-county employees, with the county saying employees that get called back to work after crossing the county line should have a shift continuation without extra provisions.

An agreement appears to be close, as both sides say they’re hopeful of a new agreement at each meeting. That agreement, however, has not been reached yet.

The commissioned officers have an arbitration clause that would allow an independent arbiter to look at how much the county should pay those officers without looking at the county’s finances, according to the county commissioners. The non-commissioned officers, however, don’t have that clause.

Arbitration has yet to be discussed in open public meetings through the months of talks between the county and Teamsters.

Author Bio

Drew Lawson, Editor

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Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.

 

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