Shasta County Administrators are awaiting a response from UPEC after making a counter offer on a new contract. The offer made on the 16th followed a 2-and-a-half week strike by hundreds of workers represented by UPEC. Union representatives had been saying that the previous offer given by the county would raise wages but the increase in employee contributions to benefits would result in a reduction of net take-home pay. The strike forced the suspension of a lot of functions of the Health and Human Services Agency. With the employees back at work, the Board of Supervisors can wait them out as long as they wish. Meanwhile UPEC Representative Steve Allen tells us that the union membership is considering the county’s revised offer. There’s a closed session during Tuesday’s supervisors meeting that will bring the county and union negotiators together again.