Strike threat helps Local 473 members win fair contract

Members of AFSCME Local 473 who work for the Winnebago County Circuit Clerk make the gears of justice move. Announcing court cases, scheduling court dates, keeping track of mountains of paperwork—they do it all.

But with the rising cost of living, union members were feeling squeezed. They needed to make up ground in their new union contract.

To make their voices heard by management, workers put union signs up in their offices and in yards throughout the county. Members proudly displayed them on their windshields when they came to work every day. 

The height of the pressure came at a county board meeting, where members formed a wall-to-wall sea of AFSCME green, and told the county board that they were willing to walk off the job on strike if that’s what it took to get the fair contract they knew they were worth.

“We knew we had to fight for what we believe in. We had to fight for what is right and what we deserve,” said Missy MacFadden, Local 473’s treasurer and a member of the bargaining committee.

Solidarity was building. After that, they even had retired members who came and asked for signs for their yard. 

“They told us, ‘If you’re going to strike, we’ll walk with you,’” MacFadden said.

The pressure worked.

The final contract ratified by members raises wages by an average of 21.9% over four years and raises retention pay for the longest-serving employees. The contract also adds an extra personal day and raises the cap on the amount of comp time that can be earned, effectively providing more time off. 

“We all came together, we stood together, and we made this the best contract we could,” MacFadden said.

The committee included MacFadden, Katie Wisocki, Jackie Lindquist, Michelle Dollak and Jenny Zammuto. The committee was led by Council 31 Staff Representative Cody Dornes.