Holding the Line in Wright County

In late 2025, AFSCME Local 2685 members in Wright County faced a difficult choice. With massive health insurance premiums on the horizon for January 2026, the membership ratified the contract to ensure wage increases and insurance contributions were locked in. A key part of that deal was a $1 per hour differential pay for Child Protection Social Workers (a priority the County itself had proposed).

However, after the contract was signed, the County tried to move the goalposts. They attempted to "conditionally accept" the deal only if the union agreed to exclude certain Social Workers. When the Union stood firm, the County resorted to rebranding teams and changed the organizational chart specifically to "rename" 11 Social Workers out of their hard-earned differential pay.

"We sat in those rooms for months making hard choices," said Jennifer Oxley, Local 2685 Vice President, "When the County tried to lie about what we agreed to, our notes and our unity were our best weapons. This victory proves that when we are informed and engaged, management can't ignore us."

An Injury to One is an Injury to All

Members didn't just see a $1 dispute for 11 people; they saw an existential threat to the entire contract. If the County could "rename" their way out of one provision, no part of the contract was safe.

Local 2685 took immediate action:

1. Double the Power: The negotiations team was twice as large as usual. These members took meticulous notes, ensuring the County couldn't rewrite history.

2. Vigilance: Members immediately began documenting management’s statements, including a manager who admitted the rebrands were "just for the org chart."

3. 11 Grievances: Each of the 11 Social Workers went through the grievance process separately, fighting not to lose their $1 differential pay.

4. The ULP: When the County tried to subvert the grievance process, the Union filed two Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges through the Minnesota PERB.

Full Restitution

Faced with a member-led case and the pressure of the ULP, the County backed down. They offered a settlement that provided a full remedy: all affected workers received their $1 differential pay and full backpay for the time it was withheld.

"We used the ULP process as a strategy, not just a solution," said Kristine Hamm, Local 2685 President and Council 65 Executive Board Secretary Treasurer, "We won because our members refused to be transactional. They understood that protecting 11 coworkers was the only way to protect the entire 200-person unit."