Otoe County switches gears, cuts bridge positions only
A representative of three Otoe County roads workers who will lose their jobs criticized the move Tuesday as retaliation against their union.
The Otoe County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 to eliminate the county’s bridge crew, which consists of a foreman and three maintenance workers. Despite votes several weeks ago to also eliminate four truck driver jobs, the board left those positions intact Tuesday during a meeting in Nebraska City.
Commissioners Dale Haverty and Joy Schroder voted to lay off the bridge workers while Commissioner Nicki Kreifels voted against.
Nebraska Public Employees Local Union 251 represents the three bridge workers but not the foreman. George Forst, vice president of the union, said he believes the two commissioners who voted for the layoffs were exercising a vendetta against the union.
As evidence, he pointed out the board approved a budget Tuesday that contains enough money to keep the bridge crew.
“We do not believe that the actions … had anything to do throughout this whole process with budgetary matters,” Forst said. “From our point of view, this is an attempt by Joy Schroder to bust the union.”
Schroder has never liked the fact that roads workers voted for union representation 12 years ago, Forst said. He referred to disputes over wages and personnel actions as examples of Schroder’s dislike of the union.
Attempts to reach Schroder Tuesday were unsuccessful.
After the meeting, board Chairman Haverty said his vote had everything to do with money. He estimated the layoffs could save the county close to $180,000 annually in salaries and benefits.
The county now will have to hire private contractors to do bridge work. But it was faced with having to pay for contract work even if the bridge crew remained, because bridge maintenance has become highly specialized, Haverty said.
The board made 10 or 15 adjustments to the proposed budget so it would balance, Haverty said. Those adjustments allowed the board to spare the truck driver jobs for this year, he added.
Tuesday’s meeting represented the fourth time in the past month the board has taken action on roads department staffing.
Commissioners voted to lay off seven roads employees at an Aug. 12 closed meeting. But after the union filed a complaint, Attorney General Jon Bruning determined the action violated the state’s open meetings law. Bruning admonished the board and said it needed to reconsider the action in an open session.
The job eliminations approved Tuesday will take effect at the end of the month, Haverty said. The county must submit its budget to the state by a Sept. 20 deadline.
Reach Joe Duggan at 473-7239 or jduggan@journalstar.com.
The Otoe County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 to eliminate the county’s bridge crew, which consists of a foreman and three maintenance workers. Despite votes several weeks ago to also eliminate four truck driver jobs, the board left those positions intact Tuesday during a meeting in Nebraska City.
Commissioners Dale Haverty and Joy Schroder voted to lay off the bridge workers while Commissioner Nicki Kreifels voted against.
Nebraska Public Employees Local Union 251 represents the three bridge workers but not the foreman. George Forst, vice president of the union, said he believes the two commissioners who voted for the layoffs were exercising a vendetta against the union.
As evidence, he pointed out the board approved a budget Tuesday that contains enough money to keep the bridge crew.
“We do not believe that the actions … had anything to do throughout this whole process with budgetary matters,” Forst said. “From our point of view, this is an attempt by Joy Schroder to bust the union.”
Schroder has never liked the fact that roads workers voted for union representation 12 years ago, Forst said. He referred to disputes over wages and personnel actions as examples of Schroder’s dislike of the union.
Attempts to reach Schroder Tuesday were unsuccessful.
After the meeting, board Chairman Haverty said his vote had everything to do with money. He estimated the layoffs could save the county close to $180,000 annually in salaries and benefits.
The county now will have to hire private contractors to do bridge work. But it was faced with having to pay for contract work even if the bridge crew remained, because bridge maintenance has become highly specialized, Haverty said.
The board made 10 or 15 adjustments to the proposed budget so it would balance, Haverty said. Those adjustments allowed the board to spare the truck driver jobs for this year, he added.
Tuesday’s meeting represented the fourth time in the past month the board has taken action on roads department staffing.
Commissioners voted to lay off seven roads employees at an Aug. 12 closed meeting. But after the union filed a complaint, Attorney General Jon Bruning determined the action violated the state’s open meetings law. Bruning admonished the board and said it needed to reconsider the action in an open session.
The job eliminations approved Tuesday will take effect at the end of the month, Haverty said. The county must submit its budget to the state by a Sept. 20 deadline.
Reach Joe Duggan at 473-7239 or jduggan@journalstar.com.
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