For approximately 30 years, Sharon Long has served Gilpin Township as Secretary-Treasurer and has been represented by Teamsters Local 538 for nearly her entire career.

Gilpin Township has now initiated proceedings before the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board seeking to remove the Secretary-Treasurer position from the bargaining unit.

According to Teamsters Local 538 Secretary-Treasurer Betty Fischer, this same issue was raised in 2016. Fischer says an agreement was reached allowing Sharon to remain in the bargaining unit for the duration of her employment, with the understanding that the union would not challenge the exclusion of a future Secretary-Treasurer after Sharon retired or resigned. The union says it does not have a written memorandum documenting that agreement.

The potential consequences for Sharon are significant. Fischer says removal from the bargaining unit would end her participation in the Teamsters pension plan and could affect other terms of her employment. Township Chair Tina Thompson has also stated that, if the position becomes nonunion, the Board would establish a new job description and rate of pay for a part-time, nonunion role.

There is another option: allow Sharon to finish her career under the longstanding arrangement she has worked under for decades, and address the status of the position when her successor is appointed.

The September 23 hearing does not make it too late for the Township to seek withdrawal of its petition. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board regulations specifically provide a procedure for motions to withdraw charges or petitions, including motions made during a hearing and, in the case of settlements, motions made before or after a hearing. A charge or petition cannot be withdrawn without the consent of the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. See 34 Pa. Code § 95.97. 

We, the undersigned, urge the Gilpin Township Board of Supervisors to withdraw its Petition for Unit Clarification and allow Sharon to complete her employment with the union status and protections she has had throughout nearly her entire career.