Dexter Town Manager Robert Simpson learned late last week that the Maine Chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is petitioning the Maine Labor Board on behalf of Dexter's municipal employees to establish a local bargaining unit.

Once a bargaining unit is established, negotiations are held between unit representatives and town officials regarding wages, hours, insurance benefits, pension benefits, vacations, seniority rights, job performance, work rules, layoffs, promotion procedures, promotion transfers, and terms and conduct of employees.

"Because we have worked very hard over the last several years to preserve the level of benefits and wages for our municipal employees, even during a period of regional economic distress, I was very disappointed that such action was being considered by some of our workers," Simpson said Monday.

Simpson said he expected the Town Council to discuss the union effort in executive session during a Nov. 14 council meeting.

"It's indeed unfortunate that at a time when we're facing so many other issues critical to the future welfare of the community that our efforts will inevitably be diluted because of the attention and expense we'll have to dedicate to also dealing with this development," the town manager said.

Simpson said the Maine Municipal Association and the town's attorney have been consulted about the town's actions in response to the AFSCME petition.

As many as 30 town employees could be affected
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Wednesday, November 13, 2002 edition of the Bangor Daily NEWS and is used here with permission."