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Unions File Unfair Labor Practice Against Legislature

By Kacey Drescher

Story Created: May 25, 2011 at 5:19 PM MST

Story Updated: May 25, 2011 at 9:16 PM MST

State employee unions are filing an unfair labor practice claim against Montana, they say the Legislature should not have rejected a deal already negotiated with Governor Brian Schweitzer.

The Legislature rejected a plan that would have provided pay raises of 1% in 2012 and 3% in 2013.

MEA-MFT President Eric Feaver says by refusing to act in a timely fashion on House Bill 13, the Legislature failed to bargain in good faith. Just before Wednesday’s news conference, MEA-MFT, The Montana Public Employees Association and AFSCME filed their complaint against the State of Montana.

The charge will be investigated by a hearings officer at the Montana Department of Labor and the Board of Personnel Appeals gets the case. This could force the Legislature into a special session to ratify a pay-plan agreement.

"The MEA-MFT, The Montana Public Employees Association and the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees [that] we are filing an unfair labor practice against the state of Montana,” says Feaver.

"They need to look these state employees and these folks in the eye and tell them why and what they did and if they do come here and they can't tell them why then they need to fix the mess that they left us with,” says AFSCME Council 9 Executive Director Timm Twardoski.

Twardoski adds that many state employees have been looking for other opportunities.

"Give me a break already, state employees are Montanans and they just got the shaft and there's no reason,” adds Feaver. Feaver says he hopes the actions lead to new negotiations with the Governor - an even better pay raise

The filing specifically names Speaker of the House, Mike Milburn. The House Appropriations Committee did not take action on the state employee pay-plan bill (HB13) until March 23, when it tabled the bill. The bill then died on the House Floor on April 26th, just two days before the end of the 62nd Legislative Session.

Due the recession, Montana state employees voluntarily agreed to a two-year pay freeze back in 2009.

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