Corvallis, OR - In light of Benton County’s refusal to come to the bargaining table with reasonable wage proposals, county workers represented by Oregon AFSCME Local 2064 have announced they will hold a strike vote beginning Monday, October 21st, running through Thursday, October 24th.
“Management did their own market study, but instead of comparing apples to apples, they compared Benton County to Portland and gave themselves raises in excess of $40,000” said Joe Moore, Local 2064 Chief Steward and a member of the bargaining committee.
The strike vote follows Benton County’s failure to reach an agreement on safety in addition to refusing to explain why they reject proposals on the table since February. This decision comes after months of negotiations aimed at improving workplace safety and securing fair compensation for the dedicated county workers.
“Nearly a third of the bargaining unit came to a membership meeting this week and overwhelmingly voted to take a strike vote. If the county won’t take our safety seriously or provide workers the same wage structure management received, we’re prepared to force their hand” added Dave Malone, a Land Surveyor with Benton County.
Should a majority of Benton County workers vote to strike, a 10-day notice will be given to the county, indicating the start date of the strike. This is a significant step forward, and is reminiscent of the actions taken by fellow county workers in Yamhill County who went on strike in late 2023, and led to a fair contract agreement.
