Nearly the entire Mineral County Sheriff's Office in Montana went on strike Monday morning.
Deputies, 911 dispatchers and detention center workers have been picketing the county courthouse in Superior in an attempt to get a new collective bargaining agreement, according to The Billings Gazette.
The 16 members of the Teamsters Local 2 union unanimously voted on a strike authorization and officially went on strike around 8 a.m.
Sheriff Tom Bauer, Undersheriff Mike Boone and Civil Clerk Roni Phillips are now the only ones staffing the detention center, the dispatch center and handling the public safety and coroner duties. Bauer told the newspaper that he has a reserve deputy on duty as well.
"I've got a reserve deputy out and we've got some more people coming in to help us out," he said. "We'll get a hold of some other jails so we don't have that hanging over our heads. Long-term we'll have to do something. I'm hopeful they'll get something worked out. I hope it's a matter of days, but they aren't talking right now. I had to go out and ask (the union members) something about a duty, and they are upbeat today."
Union business representative Shawn Fontaine said that they have been trying to get a long-term contract for several years.
"We have been without a contract since July 1 of last year," he told The Gazette. "For the past two years, to even get the commissioners to the table to negotiate, we had to file charges with the Montana Board of Personnel. They had a legal duty to bargain in good faith. We sent multiple requests, and they never responded to it."
Mineral County Commissioner Roman Zylawy talked to the The Independent about the strike.
"I know these employees are worth more than they get paid," he told the newspaper. "I want them to get more money. But how do we fund it? We can't spend money that isn't there. We're trying to be fiscally responsible to all of the county departments."
