Update on Boone County Animal Control

Boone County union employees want their jobs back and lost wages

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Three employees formerly employed at Boone County Animal Control Services want their jobs back as well as lost wages. [SUSAN MORAN/ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR]

By Chris Green
Rockford Register Star

Posted Jul 21, 2020 at 7:01 AM

BELVIDERE — Grievances filed by three former Boone County Animal Control Services employees who abruptly resigned earlier this month may be headed for arbitration.

The three employees, who account for the county’s entire Animal Services department, have yet to speak publicly about why they resigned, but last week union representative Joe Adrian of Teamsters Local 325 said employees worked under duress due to a poor working relationship with temporary administrator Austin Edmondson.

Adrian said the employees were “harassed, bullied and threatened.” Monday, he said the employees want their jobs back as well as any lost wages.

“We could ask for a mediator and then arbitration, but I’m assuming it will go right to arbitration,” Adrian said.

“Arbitration is a long process. I’m hoping we don’t have to go there.”

Monday, Edmondson said he denied the employees’ grievances on the grounds that the employees resigned.

“If they resign, there’s nothing I can do,” he said.

Edmondson has held the title of temporary administrator since June of 2019. He too has declined to speak publicly about his working relationship with the three employees since that time other than to say:

“If I was such a horrible person, why didn’t they file a grievance before,” he said.

The two grievances that were denied pertain to the alleged treatment of the employees.

Adrian said a third grievance, that has yet to be filed, is to prevent the county from subcontracting the work of the employees.

Meanwhile, Edmondson said an intergovernmental agreement with Winnebago County is being formalized “for them to cover our essential calls such as dog bites and animal mistreatment.”

The Boone County Board is expected to address the issue at their next meeting on Aug. 5.

Chris Green: cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen

Above is from:  https://www.rrstar.com/news/20200721/boone-county-union-employees-want-their-jobs-back-and-lost-wages