Lawyers’ union’s rejection of additional benefits is “dangerous”

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) — The chairman of the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors is criticizing a recent vote by members of the union that represents the county’s deputy prosecutors to reject an agreement to help attract new attorneys and address staffing shortages.

Supervisor Matthew Ung calls the rejection of the “memorandum of understanding” “disappointing” and “dangerous.”

Supervisors unanimously supported the memo at their Aug. 13 meeting.

Ung says the memo included immediate salary increases of up to 10 percent. According to the memo, all employees would receive raises every six months.

The memo also included an additional week of vacation, $3,000 retention bonuses after one year and permission to work remotely.

The memo is in addition to the current master contract, which runs from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027. “It is unprecedented for a county government to proactively offer to increase compensation and benefits outside of contract negotiation, including input from union members, and then have the union members reject it.”

Ung says County Attorney James Loomis previously reported that backlogs in felony cases due to staffing shortages are a major public safety concern, with eight of the county’s 18 positions vacant.

Ung says union members rejected the memo on Aug. 22.

Jason Kurtz, president of the local union, said he could not comment on the situation.

Kurtz referred KTIV’s questions to Ben Ingersoll, who is the western Iowa representative for Council 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Ingersoll said the union is preparing a response to Ung’s comments.

You can read Ung’s full press release below.

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