(Teamsters Local 542 has been negotiating with the County)....They are negotiating for a salary increase.

The latest offer from the county was an annual 3% increase and a second similar annual raise of the same amount all other employees are receiving. The union wants a higher offer. The county has said they were waiting for the union to make a counteroffer. The union wants the county to increase their offer. And that has created the impasse. Ruth Duarte, the union representative, has said the impasse can be broken and negotiations restarted, if the county increases their offer. She does not think that will happen. She says it appears the county is waiting for the union to strike.