March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Piscataquis panel accepts ruling on employee leave

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Piscataquis County commissioners on Tuesday avoided a court battle by formally accepting an arbitrator’s ruling on vacation and sick leave that was favorable to a union representing some county employees.

The dispute over earned time, which is vacation and sick leave earned by employees, would have been heard in Superior Court if the commissioners had not accepted the ruling this week.

Previously, employees of the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department who are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, received so many days of earned time a year. Under a new contract, their earned time is now based on hours worked according to a contract formula.

A problem arose when both parties had different interpretations of the contract. Mediation was unsuccessful. The union members, including deputies and dispatchers, filed a grievance over the transition from the previous system to earned time and on whether half or all of the sick days earned by employees would be transferred. The union members believed the earned time should include all the sick days.

The county commissioners disagreed.

The grievance was later heard by the state Arbitration and Conciliation Board which ruled in the union’s favor. The board directed the county to transfer all the accumulated vacation, sick leave and compensatory time leave to the union members, without interest.

Commissioners Eben DeWitt, Tony Bartley and Gordon Andrews, however, called the ruling “unfair” to the county and unanimously voted to appeal the ruling in court.

After discussing the matter for the past couple of months, DeWitt said the board agreed to follow the arbitrator’s decision and abide by his findings.

“The matter is closed,” said DeWitt.

The county settled with the three employees who were affected by the decision, according to DeWitt. The three employees, Sgt. David Roberts, Sgt. Robert Young and Richard Long received a combined total of $8,174.

“We’re glad to have this behind us, forget about it and move on,” Young said after the meeting. He said negotiations for a new contract with the county would begin next month without this issue left hanging in the air.


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