About One Thousand Shasta County employees will go on strike starting May First. The Laborer’s Union announced the two week strike Monday, saying they had reached an impasse in negotiations despite the intervention of a state mediator. The union says the county is trying to pull a fast one on its lowest paid workers. As an example, they cite an office assistant position that has been offered a 2.5% raise by the county, but an increase in the share of cost in the employees benefits would result in a net decrease in take home pay of 7%. The union is demanding an across the board raise of 15%. Union negotiator Steve Allen says that last Tuesday, Board of Supervisors Chair Patrick Jones reiterated that the county’s offer was final. Allen says that leaves a strike as the last option.