Franklin Co. must pay $55K, allow Teamsters union access to jailers
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- PERC ordered Franklin Co. to pay about $55,000 and restore fair access for Teamsters 839.
- Commission found county, sheriff interfered in a 2024 union vote and aided FOP campaign.
- County must remain neutral, permit Teamsters meeting, post decision and report compliance
Franklin County and the union representing its jailers have reached another settlement in a dispute that began nearly six years ago.
The county will pay about $55,000 in attorneys fees to the union and agree to a series of steps to ensure representatives are able to meet with corrections officers as allowed by state labor laws.
The decision was made by the Public Employment Relations Commission, which has jurisdiction over public sector labor relations in Washington state.
Last year, Franklin County took the jail away from Sheriff Jim Raymond, though the sheriff and county are still working through lawsuits over the move.
Years-long dispute
The dispute began in April 2020 when Teamsters 839 took over representing the corrections deputies from the Franklin County Corrections Officers Association.
While a union representative was let in for the first few months, by October 2020 Raymond began claimed the visits were disruptive and allegedly began changing rules for access.
That led to a series of lawsuits, Public Employment Relations Commission complaints and jailers being fired or placed on leave, according to court documents.
An Adams County Superior Court judge sided with the Teamsters in a 2023 ruling, ordering Raymond to restore access.
The most recent complaint stems from events involving a 2024 union vote that could have led to a change in representation in favor of the Fraternal Order of Police.
Sheriff’s office supervisors allowed a representative of the Fraternal Order of Police to host an informational session over lunch during a mandatory full-day training jailers attended.
An examiner determined this lunch constituted interference on the part of the county, and that a supervisor speaking about their experience with FOP violated rules on neutrality.
The most recent determination described this as unfair access given the years-long legal battle between the county and the union.
“The mere suggestion that the Teamsters could have asked to meet with employees on-site and that the County would have graciously granted permission distorts the reality of the relationship between the Sheriff and the Teamsters,” the PERC decision said.
The commission upheld an earlier determination that found that the sheriff’s office and the county disrupted the conditions for a fair election, unlawfully assisted the FOP in its bid to take over for the Teamsters and interfered with employees’ rights to freely select their collective bargaining representative.
What happens now?
The county has been ordered not to show preference to FOP and ensure that no future interference takes place.
They also will need to remain neutral in union elections, give the Teamsters access to hold a one-hour mealtime meeting with off-shift employees before a new election takes place, post copies of a notice of this decision and read it on the record at a future county commissioners meeting, and submit a review of steps taken to comply with the order.
The commission made its decision in late November, and the Teamsters submitted its bill for attorneys fees in January.
Sheriff Raymond no longer has a role in day-to-day jail operations.
