County, Dispatchers At Odds

Sangamon County (Ill.) officials and their public safety dispatchers are debating overtime issues that arose from understaffing during their contract negotiations. The dispatchers’ union claims says dispatchers are averaging 55-60 hours a week, with just 30 dispatchers to fill 42 authorized positions. The county wanted dispatchers to work 12-hour shifts, but dispatchers voted down that plan 15-13. They objected to the plan because, with mandatory overtime, it would leave them with only 8 hours between 12-hour shifts. Read the story and the interesting comments posted at the end, right here.