Town Hall Employees Vote To Join Union

Town hall employees have voted to be represented by the United Public Service Employees Union (UPSEU) in a 23 to 12 vote Monday morning, according to Ronald Suraci, regional director for the UPSEU. The supervisors in town hall voted against representation Monday morning, in a 6 to 5 vote, Suraci said. 

"I believe town hall employees were concerned about their wages and benefits given the budget tightening in these difficult economic times," said Madison First Selectman Fillmore McPherson. "And so we will enter into bargaining a future contract, in due course."

Many other town employees, including the rank and file employees working for the police department, and the schools are already represented by unions, Suraci said. "Ninety nine percent of town employees have a union, this is one of the last areas that didn't."

He said he did not know if there would be another effort to represent the supervisors, adding that it would have to be at least a year before another vote.

In the meantime, he said, the union would start to work with town officials to negotiate wages, hours, and conditions of work. "Some people haven't gotten raises in years," he said. "I think they were concerned about that."

Elizabeth Dunn, assistant board agent for the state Board of Labor Relations, who conducted the election, said the results would be certified within about five days to a week. "We'll finalize it and make it official," she said.

UPSEU Attorney Barbara Resnick, who helped supervise the election, said the union would begin work after that.

"Once we get certified we'll take over negotiating the contract and other issues," she said.

This story was originally posted at 12:15 p.m. Monday and later updated.