The union representing Washington County probation officers said it may file a notice to strike next week unless the county makes Juneteenth an additional paid holiday without altering employees' existing holiday calendar.

The strike notice would trigger a 10-day cooling-off period dictated by state law, during which time the State Bureau of Mediation Services would call for the resumption of negotiations.

At issue: The probation officers, who belong to the Teamsters Local 320 union, say the county is offering to make Juneteenth a paid holiday — but only if employees give up their existing Christmas Eve holiday.

Joshua Loahr, the union's recording secretary and chief negotiator, said the Christmas Eve holiday was in the contract that expired Dec. 31. Under the contract offered for 2024 and 2025, the county said it would make Juneteenth a paid holiday, but not Christmas Eve. The county also offered to provide a floating holiday to be used on a day that is important to the employee.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Celebrated on June 19, it marks the day in 1865 that slaves in Texas first learned of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed in 1863. It was made a federal holiday in 2021, and a Minnesota state holiday last year.

Loahr said the probation officers could ask for Christmas Eve off under the new floating holiday plan, but the county could deny it, effectively taking away a holiday that had been agreed to under earlier bargaining.

"The county is trying to force our bargaining group to trade our Christmas Eve holiday in order for them to recognize and pay the employees on Juneteenth," said Loahr. "I'm absolutely disgusted with how the county is treating this holiday. The significance of it is not something that should have to be traded for."

Loahr said he reached out to the county on Wednesday in an effort to resume negotiations, but had not heard back as of noon Thursday. "If the county is unwilling to come back to the table then, yes, we will file our intent to strike."

Washington County spokeswoman Tina Elam said in a statement that the probation officers turned down "a very competitive wage and benefit proposal for 2024 and 2025." The 48 probation employees are among the county's total 1,513 employee pool. The county offered the probation officers the same package of paid holidays that was accepted by more than 80% of county employees in 2022, including the county's three largest bargaining units, the county said in a statement.

The county declared Juneteenth an official county holiday in 2021. The statement added that the county will keep offices open on Christmas Eve, similar to what happens at state offices, in the courts and "many private sector service organizations."