A labor union representing over 350 county employees is claiming Herkimer County officials violated state law by deliberately ignoring requests to begin contract negotiations, according to union officials.
The Civil Service Employee Association officials on Monday filed an Improper Practice Charge with the state Public Employment Relations Board, an agency tasked with addressing violations of the Public Employees' Fair Employment Act (commonly known as the Taylor Law).
Local and state CSEA officials have said the county is simply continuing a practice of leaving CSEA employees guessing as to their future.
“Historically in this county, we are the last group they tend to deal with,” said JoAnne LeClair, local CSEA unit president, in a phone interview Tuesday.
The last contract expired in December of 2005, but it wasn’t handled by the county and put to a vote by CSEA members until October 2007, LeClair added.
The current CSEA contract, with a four-year term, is set to expire Dec. 31. The charges filed Monday allege county officials did not respond to two certified letters (from September and October) expressing a desire to set meeting dates.
See the whole story in Wednesday's edition of The Evening Telegram.
