A union of Benton County employees ended its strike Wednesday, after reaching a tentative deal on a new contract.
AFSCME represents more than 300 workers at the county, spanning multiple departments. That's over half of all Benton County employees.
They went on strike last week, calling for a new contract with higher wages and additional safety measures. During this time, the county reduced its hours and temporarily shuttered some services.
After two additional bargaining sessions with Benton County, the workers voted Wednesday afternoon to ratify a new three-year contract.
Rolando Figueroa, a chief negotiator for the union, said this deal includes multiple improvements over the county’s previous offers. He said unionized workers have secured nearly the same wages as their non-union counterparts.
Additionally, the county has agreed to do a market study on the workers in the third year of the contract. That’s the same process which previously provided Benton County management significant raises.
Figueora also said workers’ Safety Advisory Committees will have more power to alert management to outstanding safety issues, and employees who work during an emergency or natural disaster will receive a pay boost.
“This contract is going to be great, not only for our members, but it's going to be really great for the residents of Benton County, as their services are going to see some improvements,” said Figueroa.
In an email to KLCC, Benton County spokesperson Anne Thwaits wrote that county management and commissioners were thrilled about the new agreement.
"It took a tremendous amount of teamwork, problem-solving and inclusive decision making," wrote Thwaits. "This agreement includes creative solutions that will make us stronger as a county workforce."
The Benton County Board of Commissioners still needs to ratify the contract before it can go into effect. Figueroa said he expects that to happen this week or early next month.
Thwaits said county staff will now help the striking employees return to work, and regular service hours will resume Monday. Further updates around services and closures will be posted on the Benton County's website.
