ABERDEEN, S.D.(Press Release) – Workers from across City of Aberdeen departments have filed for a union election, taking a major step toward securing a stronger voice on the job. The vote is scheduled to take place on July 7th and 8th.

This campaign to unionize is being led by city employees who want fair pay, better benefits, and a real say in decisions that impact their work and their families.

“I’m hoping this election this election gets us moving toward wages that keep up competitive in the public sector and makes sure we have the same benefits and protections as other public workers in South Dakota,” said Bill Feiock, one of the workers involved in the organizing effort.

Nate Trauger, a fellow employee, added, “With a union, we can make sure our concerns about pay, benefits, and healthcare premiums are taken seriously and work together toward making real improvements.”

“I thought I was the only one who wanted things to change, but as we talked to more people, we realized it was all of us,” said Devin Rice. “A union gives us the power to have a real say in decisions that affect our working conditions, wages, benefits, and futures.”

Aberdeen city employees are calling on the public and their fellow workers to support their right to unionize. They believe forming a union is not only about improving their own workplaces, but also about ensuring they can continue delivering quality services to the residents of Aberdeen.

HubCityRadio have reached out to Aberdeen City Attorney Ron Wager(Wag-er) to comment about the pending vote.

He informed us that the council is looking into this through executive sessions.  He did share that the Aberdeen Police and Fire Departments are not planning to participate on this vote as well as the supervisors of the departments.  He also encourages all employees to cast votes on this whether they are in favor or oppose to forming a union.