By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer
October 2, 2007

Fifty-two Hood River County employees don’t believe that part-time workers should pay $196 out-of-pocket each month for health care coverage.

At noon Wednesday, members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 75, Local 1082, walked an informational picket line. For one hour they were a visible presence outside the county administration building. Their hope was to gain public support for AFSCME’s stand.

Union members have decided not to ratify a contract negotiated over the past six months with help from a state mediator.

“We really don’t want to create an adversarial stand with the county,” said Steve Marrs, union representative.

He said Local 1082 is comprised of employees from these departments: Budget and Finance, Planning/Building, Health, Library and Records/Assessment. Also included are staffers from Justice Court and the District Attorney’s office.

Attorney Bruce Bischof, contract negotiator on behalf of county management, is “surprised” by the union move. He said the Local 1082 bargaining team proposed during mediation to have the nine single part-time employees start paying 50 percent of their premium costs.

In return, three part-time workers with dependents and all 40 full-time workers could retain 100 percent coverage for their families under the first year of an HMO (Health Maintanence Organization) plan.

“It was the union’s decision, not ours, to change the status quo,” said Bischof.