Oct. 25—Dozens of Westmoreland County unionized workers picketed Wednesday in front of the courthouse claiming negotiations on a new labor deal with the government's largest bargaining unit have stalled.

Officials with the Service Employees International Union Local 668 and Healthcare Pennsylvania accused county leaders of negotiating in bad faith.

"They called us back to the table, and then there was no offer. They came with a verbal proposal for health care, but there was no wage offer or offer about work conditions," said Wanda Smith, SEIU's business manager.

She said union negotiators walked out of labor talks Tuesday, and there are no plans to reconvene with county officials until mid-November.

The union represents more than 500 county employees, including 911 dispatchers, nurses and other staffers at Westmoreland Manor, Area Agency on Aging caseworkers, juvenile detention and probation officers, and some courthouse workers.

The SEIU's current four-year contract expires at the end of December. Smith said Wednesday's picketing was a message for commissioners to resume labor talks.

"We're seeking a living wage. I have members who work 6.5 hours a day and are on welfare. Instead of raising wages they have people working overtime," Smith said. "We're out here to let the commissioners know how upset we are. They are not bargaining in good faith."

The county commissioners, in a statement issued Wednesday, said talks with the union are expected to resume.

"While the county cannot discuss specifics of negotiations or personnel matters, rest assured that the county is looking forward to going back to the table and engaging in productive negotiations," the statement said. "It is the county's intent to reach an agreement that respects the important work that the SEIU members do for the county while respecting taxpayer dollars."

Wages are expected to be a sticking point.

Commissioners over the past year have increased pay for many county employees and instituted signing bonuses for existing and new staffers.

Salaries tied to union employees have been limited to terms of the last labor contract signed in 2020 that called for 2% annual average raises in addition to bonus pay for nurses and telecommunication workers.

Meanwhile, annual raises for nonunion employees and elected officials totaled more than 13% over the past two years. Raises for elected officials were mandated through a county ordinance approved more than decades earlier and based on the Consumer Price Index. Raises for nonunion employees typically have mirrored raises given to elected officials.