Aberdeen City workers approve union vote

ABERDEEN, S.D.(Press Release)— City workers in Aberdeen have made history by winning their union election on a 79-29 vote, uniting across departments in a shared effort to secure fair wages, equal benefits, and a genuine voice on the job. But while employees came together in solidarity, the City of Aberdeen chose a different path, spending taxpayer money to hire a New York-based union-busting law firm in an unsuccessful attempt to stop them.

In recent weeks, the City mailed so-called “Get the Facts” letters to employees. These communications misrepresented how the union election works and sowed confusion rather than clarity. City officials have claimed they want to pay employees more but say they have a “responsibility to the taxpayer.” That responsibility, apparently, does not extend to the people who keep Aberdeen running every day.

Instead of investing in competitive, year-over-year wages and benefits for its own tax paying employees, the City has shown a willingness to spend freely on outside legal consultants and underutilized facilities that cost millions to purchase and hundreds of thousands annually to maintain.

“This election isn’t just about forming a union, it’s about priorities,” said Bill Feiock of the Aberdeen City Employees Organizing Committee. “If the City can find money for lawyers from New York and buildings that sit mostly empty, they can find the resources to pay city workers fairly. We are the people who plow the roads, maintain the parks, staff the departments, and keep this city safe and functioning. We’re not asking for the moon, we’re asking for fairness.”

Aberdeen city employees look forward to beginning a new chapter, one where their voices are heard and respected. And we look forward to engaging the City in an open conversation about budget priorities, especially when it comes to how public dollars are spent.

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