A union of Benton County employees went on strike at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
AFSCME represents more than 300 workers at the county, spanning multiple departments. That's over half of all Benton County employees.
The county has said the walkout will cause some service reductions and closures.
An update posted to the Benton County website says the county will pause its U.S. passport services, and won't issue new licenses for marriages, dogs, or concealed-carry handguns.
The county will also temporarily shut down the Johnson Children’s Dental Clinic in Corvallis, and reduce hours at other community health centers. And it is suspending mental health services in its Juvenile Department.
Bathrooms at county-run public parks are closed. The Benton County Fairgrounds remain open and events can continue, but the county will be limiting future reservations.
However, the county said it doesn't expect a reduction of law enforcement services. It also said public transit and the processing of ballots from last week's election will continue as normal.
Anne Thwaits, a spokesperson for the county, said residents looking to file their property taxes by the deadline this Friday can still do so in-person at the Kalapuya Building in Corvallis.
Meanwhile, the county also said it’s created a new emergency operations center to help keep essential services running across the various departments.
A full list of potentially impacted services is available on Benton County's website.
Negotiations
The union and Benton County met Tuesday, the day before the strike deadline, but weren't able to reach a deal. Thwaits told KLCC that there is another bargaining session scheduled for Friday.
The union has said it wants a fair contract with higher wages and new safety measures. It's now accusing the county of attempting to stop workers from striking through unlawful coercion and surveillance.
"Their managers had to use a script to find out if people were going to report to work the first day of the strike—and talking to them about the strike," said AFSCME representative Kim Harman, "which we feel is another violation of their rights as public sector workers here in Oregon.”
Thwaits said these complaints haven’t yet been reviewed or substantiated by the state Employment Relations Board.
The county has posted a list of past negotiation sessions, as well as the union's offer and the county's offer, on its website.
