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Livingston County highway workers issue strike notice
By Tony Sapochetti
tsapochetti@pantagraph.com
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PONTIAC — The union representing Livingston County highway workers may be ready to go on strike.

After more than three years of negotiations with the county, members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 have issued an intent-to-strike notice. The two sides will meet with a mediator on Aug. 31.

Deanna Distasio, field attorney representing Local 150, said the 10 members of the local union unanimously voted for the strike notice last week. They also sent the county their latest proposal earlier this week.

“We have made a lot of sacrifices to several things in the proposal in order to focus on the big-ticket items like wages and hours of work,” Distasio said.

Livingston County Board Chairman Bill Flott and Jeanne Rapp, a County Board member on the committee handling the union negotiations, both said they hope the mediation session yields progress.

“The county is more than willing to try to get this resolved, and we always felt like we wanted to be at the table to do that,” Rapp said. “We are definitely willing to sit down and mediate with them.”

No date had been scheduled for a strike, but the union must give the employer at least a five-day notice, Distasio said.

Local 150 was certified as the exclusive bargaining representative for the county highway maintenance workers in February 2004.

Several items have already been agreed upon, including language on workplace safety, employee shop privileges and pay for when an employee performs the duties of a higher job classification.

Open items include wages and health insurance.

The last public offers on the table had the union seeking a 4.25 percent across-the-board raise as of Jan. 1, 2007, and the county offering a 3.4 percent increase.

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Reader comments on this story - 7 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

WTF wrote on Aug 25, 2007 3:29 PM:

" Jeanne Rapp is a big problem, she is no good for Livingston Co. Just another mother............... "

SCAB here wrote on Aug 23, 2007 5:23 PM:

" I would be more then happy to take their jobs while they are picketing. What they don't understand is that yeah they might get this "wage increase" and all the other stuff they are asking for, but after all is said and done the Union will up there fees and dues so they don't see any of the so called raise. I have seen it done many times as a union employee and in the executive positions......CLH "

cry cry cry wrote on Aug 23, 2007 3:03 PM:

" fire them and get 10 new people, there are plenty of folks willing to do that job that have not been able to get in there. I am surprised I didn't read about the need for new pillows at the shop in their contract "

Jokers... wrote on Aug 23, 2007 12:46 PM:

" Most of them take portable DVD players with them to work or can be found SLEEPING on county roads most of the time. "

TJA wrote on Aug 23, 2007 6:30 AM:

" Let them go on strike. Then maybe the other county roads in the county will get taken care of and not just the county roads in the county seat. "

hmmmm.... wrote on Aug 23, 2007 2:33 AM:

" If you are willing to sit down and talk to them. Why has it taking so long. They are going on strike!!? "

Here we go again...... wrote on Aug 23, 2007 2:00 AM:

" Just another example of how Bill Flott can't navigate without Jeanne Rapp in his back pocket. How many committees is she on, anyway. With her in charge, nothing ever gets accomplished, like the nursing home, the smell at the landfill, etc., and now these poor people working without a contract. Bill Flott has sure got a GOOD TEACHER. Voters, remember this, also, when you get to the polls. "
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