Sheriff's office and union at odds over hours‑between‑shifts rule; county to consider unfair labor practice filing

Commission staff and the sheriff outlined a single outstanding bargaining issue with the deputy union: minimum hours required between shifts before a new scheduled shift counts as regular time. The prior agreement required 12 hours between shifts; the sheriff proposed reducing that to 8, the union countered at 10 and some union representatives later requested 11.

Commission counsel and staff said the union has threatened an unfair labor practice filing over bargaining conduct and that the bargaining timeline has stretched over many months, with repeated delays in the union's vote process. Commissioners discussed not agreeing to the union’s revised 11‑hour proposal and directed staff to proceed with an unfair‑labor‑practice filing if necessary. A sheriff representative emphasized that the county needs a two‑hour gap to avoid routine overtime payments triggered by brief overrun of a prior shift.