Jackson County, employees reach impasse on negotiations

MEDFORD, Ore.– Contract negotiations in Jackson County have reached a standstill after months of discussion between the county and the Jackson County Employees Association. Workers in the county want higher wages and cheaper health insurance, however, on Tuesday SEIU Local 503, representing the JCEA workers, declared negotiations were at an impasse.

With this declaration of an impasse, both sides will have seven days to present their best and final offers with a 30-day cooling-off period following after.

Per a statement, union reps would like to see employees switch to state-wide healthcare known as the Public Employees Benefits Board or PEBB. They say the current county plan is too expensive and many low wage employees can’t afford it.

However, Jackson County believes PEBB is not sustainable and wouldn’t be cheaper in some cases. The county has submitted its final offer to include these employees in the current health plan for county managers.

That insurance is provided by the county itself who acts as its own insurer and pays the claims.

According to the county, over 450 workers will be affected by whatever outcome is decided. That’s about half of the county’s total workforce. These employees represent areas such as the health department, roads department, and juvenile detention facility.

However, if both sides reject the offers, the union could strike by March and the county could force implementation of its final offer. The county says it has no plans to implement and both sides hope a resolution will be reached in time.

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