ALFRED — A woman who works two different part-time jobs for York County government has filed a grievance because, she said, her hours were cut by management to avoid providing her with health insurance.

Astrid Marshall said she was told the hours would be cut as she was signing paperwork in preparation for the second job.

Marshall was hired for a 15-hour-per-week non-union York County Emergency Management Agency position in August, and then applied for the second part-time job, posted at 16 to 20 hours per week, in the Registry of Probate. The job in the probate office is a Maine State Employees Association union job.

She told York County commissioners last week that she was initially told by the county’s Human Resources director that she would qualify for health insurance, but that the director reversed her position on the matter a day later.

She now works 14 hours a week at EMA, and 15 in probate, for a total of 29 hours; one hour a week under the threshold set for health insurance benefits under the federal Affordable Care Act.

The county manager has said the reduction in hours to 29 from a maximum of 35 hours a a week does not violate the county’s contract with MSEA. County Manager Greg Zinser, in a letter to the union’s shop steward, stated that both jobs were part-time and that benefits had not been budgeted.

Zinser denied Marshall’s grievance and the matter moved on to York County commissioners. Marshall was entitled to have her hearing in a closed door session Wednesday, but chose an open session.

At the hearing, she told commissioners that the Register of Probate had an expectation that Marshall would work there four hours a day, five days a week ”“ the maximum allowed by the job posting. She said she met with Register of Probate Carol Lovejoy, David Francoeur, who was acting EMA director at the time, and Human Resources Director Linda Corliss,.

“There was never an issue that benefits would be questioned,” she said.

Marshall said that changed when she signed on for the second position. She said Corliss told her that she had misspoken about benefits and then Corliss asked her if she still wanted the job.

Marshall ultimately accepted the second position. She told commissioners she’d had no union representation at a meeting with Corliss and Zinser.

Marshall said she just wants what she is entitled to have.

In his documentation to commissioners, Zinser wrote a synopsis of what he said had transpired, and denied the grievance on several counts, including that it wasn’t filed within the proscribed time frame, that MSEA cannot assert rights about positions not under its bargaining unit, that Marshall does not have any rights under the bargaining agreement because the union position is part-time, among others. He wrote that Marshall is accruing seniority, sick leave and vacation on a prorated basis.

Commissioners heard the grievance and entered a closed-door session to meet with their attorney. In an open session that followed, Commissioner Marston Lovell, who took office Jan. 1, said he’d like some time to review the paperwork before casting a vote.

MSEA local 1297 Union President Rachel Sherman said she hopes the matter will be resolved in the employee’s favor but is reviewing several options.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].