Sheriff's employees push union

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/LOCAL/804190329/-1/LOCAL07

Urge county to OK election
By Amanda Iacone
The Journal Gazette

Employees with the Allen County Sheriff’s Department are taking advantage of a new state law that allows them to unionize.

The employees have been working with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 723 to represent them during collective bargaining. Union leadership asked the county commissioners Friday when they would respond to a letter sent March 19.

The letter asked the commissioners to hold an election that would give 358 full-time employees the chance to say whether they should join forces with the union. According to a new state law that went into effect last summer, the county has no more than 60 days to hold the election.

Last summer the IBEW asked the commissioners to voluntarily recognize the union of highway employees and confinement officers but the commissioners denied that request, said Bruce Getts, business manager for the local union office.

Using the new law was their next step. About 140 employees signed a petition asking the commissioners to allow them to unionize using the state law that applies only to public safety employees, Getts said.

Fifty percent of those employees plus one must approve the move to unionize before the IBEW could represent those employees. Only Sheriff Ken Fries and Chief Deputy Dave Gladieux would not be covered by the union.

FULL story at link.