10-day lockout at the highway department

Perry County Highway Department employees who showed up for work at 7 a.m. Friday were turned away by engineer Brian Otten and a Perry County sheriff's deputy.

The newspaper understands the 10-day lockout that began Friday will last until 7 a.m. Monday, November 16.

According to a Perry County commissioner and office secretary Beth Lipe they understand that the labor contract provides that the men must be supervised by a foreman. That foreman, Reuban Davis, retired in August and the position has not been filled.

Engineer Otten has been their supervisor since Davis retired. Otten is on vacation this week and with no supervision the men are being locked out until he returns. The employees were apparently told they will continued to be paid if they take their vacation or sick days while he is gone.

Otten attended Thursday night's county commissioners meeting, but said nothing about the stoppage during the open session. Commissioner Jim Epplin said he got a call about 10 p.m. Thursday night, long after the meeting ended.

Secretary Beth Lipe said she got a call while she was working at her other parttime job. Lipe was told to report for work every day to field phone calls.

Epplin said in the case of an emergency Lipe is to call in highway department workers off of a turn sheet based upon who has the least number of worked hours at the time.