Contract Negotiations Updates

DECEMBER 1ST, 2025

This serves as a critical update regarding the status of your contract negotiations with the County.

Your Bargaining Team has formally filed for mediation following the County’s refusal to present an equitable financial proposal. They are trying to divide us and weaken our protections—it's time to show them the entire workforce is UNITED.

We are calling on every AFSCME member and colleague to join us for a crucial RALLY FOR RESPECT on December 16th, immediately preceding the County Board Meeting.

 

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

We are fighting against three massive attacks that affect every single employee in some way or another.

1. Economic Disrespect: Stop the Poverty Wages!

The County’s current offer falls short of increases provided to other bargaining units, demonstrating a clear lack of respect for the vital contributions of AFSCME Local 517 members.
 

  • The Union’s Demand:Fair Pay and Respectful Wages that allow us to afford to live in the communities we serve.
  • Your Action: Show up to fight for the raise you earned.

2. Erosion of Core Protections: No Rollbacks!

Management is actively refusing to guarantee our right to representation.

  • The Union’s Demand:Codify Weingarten Rights. We will not allow the County to weaken your job security! For more info on your rights, read all about it here.
  • Your Action: Show up to defend your due process and working conditions.

3. Dividing the Workforce: Paid family leave for ALL EMPLOYEES

The County is attempting to exploit a loophole to create two classes of workers.

  • The Union’s Demand:NO WORKER LEFT BEHIND! We demand the contract be used to extend equal Paid Family Leave protections to all 171 of our Wisconsin-based co-workers. This is a fight for equity across the board.
  • Your Action: Show up to ensure fairness and solidarity for every colleague.

 

Wait, what exactly is Mediation?

Mediation is a process used to assist parties to resolve a dispute through informal and confidential discourse in which a neutral third party, a mediator, assists the parties to reach a negotiated and mutually acceptable resolution/agreement.

Our Commitment to the Table

While we have filed for mediation, we want to be unequivocally clear: Your Bargaining Team remains ready to return to direct negotiation the moment the County commits to a proposal that includes a fair Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). We are ready to work, but we will not settle for an unfair contract.

 

Join the Fight! EMERGENCY RALLY DETAILS

Your presence is our leverage. We need you there!

WHAT:RALLY FOR RESPECT: UNITED FOR A FAIR CONTRACT
WHEN:Tuesday, December 16th
TIME:8:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Immediately before and during the County Board Meeting)
WHERE:Stillwater Government Center
5th Floor, outside the County Boardroom
ACTION:Wear AFSCME Green and bring a coworker!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW!

Please confirm your attendance via the link above and encourage five co-workers to stand with us.

See you on the 16th—our unity will win this contract!

 

In Solidarity,

Your AFSCME Local 517 Negotiations Team

Rally For Respect: United For a Fair Contract

Because this event is happening during the work day, you will need to take PTO or Flex Time to attend this event. 

This is not to deter anyone, but it is important to let you know that this event is not technically a protected union activity. If you cannot attend this event due to your work schedule or if your PTO is denied, DO NOT FRET, just wear green!

And email us at afscme517secretary@gmail.com if you want a T-shirt, bracelets, keychains, or buttons to show your support!

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October 31st Negotiations Update

Here’s What’s on the Table.

Your union has brought several proposals to the table for this round of negotiations.

The short version is this: the county said “NO” to nearly every item we proposed.
 

Union Proposals with County Response:

  • Weingarten Rights: Several supervisors have failed to respect employees’ right to union representation during investigatory interviews. While these rights are explicitly upheld in the federal National Labor Relations Act, Minnesota's PELRA does not specifically codify it. We proposed codifying this nationally recognized right locally. The county said NO.
  • Paid Family Leave: Continue paid family leave for employees not eligible for MN Paid Family Leave and codify full leave benefits for those eligible for MN Paid Family Leave to protect this program in case of future legislative changes. The county said NO.
  • Compassionate Leave: Up to 3 days of compassionate leave for employees experiencing significant loss. The county said NO.
  • Healthcare Costs: Increase HSA contributions to help offset rising healthcare costs and out-of-pocket expenses. The county said NO.
  • Mental Health Support: One hour per week of paid leave for therapy and other mental health resources, and aside from a small Elevate program adjustment (which we fought to implement), the county said NO.
  • PTO Adjustments: Reward longevity and encourage retention. The county said NO.
  • Union Communications: A union SharePoint page to provide up-to-date information. The county said NO.

What the County Wants You to Agree To:

  • Codified lunch breaks in the middle of shifts, regardless of schedule constraints. They hired us for our professionalism and they can’t ignore the need for flexible scheduling that prioritizes both employee well-being and client needs. This can negatively impact service delivery and create operational headaches that unfairly fall on the worker.
  • Reduced personal leaves from 6 months to 3 months. This is an attack on work-life balance and the ability to care for family. Not to mention it makes it difficult for our colleagues who want to visit family overseas or who need time off to further their education. We do not stand for limiting employees’ ability to handle significant family or personal responsibilities without losing their job.
  • Limit grievances on oral or written discipline to Step 3 with no arbitration. This is a clear violation of a fundamental labor right!Arbitration is the employee's last, impartial defense against unfair or politically motivated discipline. Without it, the county is judge, jury, and executioner.
  • Extended probationary periods for promotions from 6 months to 12 months. An employee has already demonstrated value to the county. Extending the period creates unnecessary instability and can delay other personal opportunities such as purchasing a home.
  • Offered a 2% general wage adjustment and 2.5% in-range adjustment for employees not topped out. While we're appreciative that the county came with an offer, we believe that our workers deserve more and we will continue to push to recognize the great work you’re all doing.

The county has invested millions in physical infrastructure, but our human infrastructure is crumbling under heavy workloads. Employees deserve the same attention.
 

Why This Matters:

This list shows exactly what your union fights for every day. Without union advocacy, these are the types of policies employees could face. United we bargain, divided we beg. Let's stand together and let management know how you feel about these insulting proposals.

NEXT UP:

Our next negotiations meeting is scheduled for November 19, 2025. Check back for an update after we have been at that table.

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR NEGOTIATIONS TEAM:

  • Wear AFSCME GREEN on Wednesdays! If you'd like some swag, email afscme517secretary@gmail.com.
  • Rally right before our next negotiations meeting! Let management know how you feel about their proposals! More information on that coming soon.
  • Remain visible at work! Wear your bracelets, lanyards, or use local 517's backgrounds, etc. Show your solidarity and comment when you see your coworkers showing theirs!
  • Talk to your non-dues paying coworkers and let them know exactly why they need to be a part of the union. It's never been clearer what we stand to lose without a strong union. Members who do not pay dues are unable to vote on the contracts, so if they want a say, you can send them the sign-up link.
  • Make sure you are set up and able to log in to MEMBERLINK, your member portal where we will be voting on our contracts in the coming months.
  • Make sure you are a part of the Facebook Group:AFSCME Local 517 | Facebook

In solidarity,

Benjamin Henry

President- AFSCME Local 517

September 7th, 2025 Contract Negotiations Update

Thank you to everyone who gave us their feedback in the contract negotiations survey. There was a lot of great input to work with, and we are planning how to best prioritize the needs and desires of the employees we represent. Some popular topics from our respondents included codifying certain rights and benefits into our contract, paid leave, healthcare, and employee pay ranges.

Our next General Membership Meeting will be In-Person in Stillwater on Wednesday, September 17th from 12:00pm-1:00pm. A remote attendance option is available as well, and will be disseminated when the agenda is sent to work emails.

Here are some other quick additional updates: 

  • In the future, we are going to be ramping up some visibility opportunities as well as a solidarity rally to come.
  • We have been in the process of setting up AFSCME Local 517 with ActionNetwork.org for improved communication.
  • We were invited by Bill Czech from United Steelworkers to participate in the First Annual All-Unions Labor Day Rally for South Washington County. So on Labor Day in Cottage Grove, we got 250 honks in just a few hours!

Reminders: 

Until Next Time!

In Solidarity, 

Your AFSCME Local 517 Executive Board & Negotiations Team

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August 3rd, 2025 Negotiations Update

In September 2025, AFSCME Local 517 will begin negotiations with Washington County for our 2026-2027 contracts. On this page, we will be posting updates on that contract. To stay in the loop, make sure you are receiving membership emails from our Recording Secretary's work email (if you don't believe you are getting these, please email afscme517secretary@gmail.com) and make sure to join our Facebook Page.

Currently, we have a negotiations team made up of your very own coworkers. They have been trained on what contract negotiations will entail, how to facilitate it, and what to expect. They will be the ones negotiating with Washington County directly. 

This week, we released our AFSCME Local 517 Contract Negotiations Survey for 2026-2027. This survey will be available until August 15th, and we will use this information to determine our focus points and adjustments for our new contracts. Any and all input on what YOU need as an employee of Washington County represented by AFSCME Local 517 is greatly appreciated!

Next, if you have not done so, set up your MemberLink account. This is your member portal, but we also conduct voting for contracts in it! 

Lastly, in the meantime, feel free to review our current contracts as well as your rights.

Stay Tuned!

 

In Solidarity, 

Your AFSCME Local 517 Executive Board & Negotiations Team