Chisago County employee strike continues, with health insurance a major sticking point

After a long negotiation period, nearly 170 employees in Chisago County, Minnesota, went on strike Friday.

This comes after Teamsters Local 320 — the union that represents workers from the county government center and health and human services sector — filed an unfair labor practice against the county.

Those on the picket line Tuesday told WCCO at this rate, it's over their health insurance premium. Strikers aren't only outside the county government center building in Center City, but they're also picketing across town.

Union officials say they have been negotiating since last fall, and after an all-day mediation session Friday, they again called the talks "one-sided."  

County officials said they have contingency plans in place if workers decide to walk off the job. County administrator Chase Burnham told WCCO in April the county plans to close the North Branch Health and Human Services Building and consolidate to one location, adding critical services will still be available either at the Government Center or through a mobile van.

Burnham told WCCO on Tuesday the county is ready to get back to the negotiation table when the Teamsters are ready, and he urged the union to stop moving the goal posts.

"When you keep changing what you want all the time, we're put in a spot that says, 'What's the option here?'" Burnham said. "Originally it started over wages, which was anticipated. That's common. Essentially when we got to the mediation stage it became, 'Now it's about health insurance.'"

Amy Perusse, business agent for Teamsters Local 320, denies that claim.

"Right from the beginning we've been trying to protect our health insurance dollars," Perusse said.

Troy Davidsavor, who works in the county's zoning office, said the latest developments have left him feeling disrespected.  

"We don't have a choice. They're trying to raise our deductibles without bringing pay to the table or fixing that," Davidsavor said. "We ended up trying to shop our own insurance, being a consumer of our own product."

Sarah Bach, who works in the county's child protective services office, said the union's healthcare plan is a better fit.

"Us going to the Teamsters plan is something we thought as a group would be better for the membership. That deductible is much lower, much more affordable for these families," Bach said.

The county says it respects the right of employees to engage in a lawful strike.