Posted by CBS 47 Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012
Published: 12:36 pm | Updated: 12:39 pm
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More than 1500 Fresno County union workers are out on the streets for the second day to protest a 9% pay cut.
One of the protest sites was in downtown Fresno, outside the Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting because they say the county negotiated in bad faith.
The county imposed the 9% pay cut last month after negotiations failed to reach an agreement.
The cuts affect 4,100 Fresno County employees and the Service Employees International Union who represents them says the pay cuts were implemented before they could vote on them.
The employees have filed a complaint against the county, saying it negotiated in bad faith.
Earlier on Tuesday, some of the employees addressed the Board of Supervisors during their meeting but Supervisors did not address any of the complaints because the pay cuts were not an agenda item for the day.
The county’s position is that they did negotiate with the bargaining unit for more than six months, meeting with them more than a dozen times and could never come up with a compromise.
The Board of Supervisors plans to go into a closed session later on Tuesday to discuss the two different complaints filed against the county with the State Labor Board for negotiating in bad faith.
The number of workers striking on Tuesday is estimated to be between 1,500 and 2,000.
One of the departments hit hardest by the strike is reported to be the Juvenile Hall where 90 to 95% of the employees did not show up for work on Monday or Tuesday. Fresno County says that department is running smoothly because they were able to fill in vacant positions with workers from other departments.
Stay with CBS47 for continuing coverage of the strike.
