FALLS CITY - The Richardson County Board reported Friday that the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations has continued its hearing over road department wages and conditions of employment to March 16 and 17.

A press release says the county objected to the testimony of Mark Murphy, who was expected to present an expert opinion on wage and benefits for the seven counties the court selected for comparison with Richardson County.

The county says the parties agreed to continue the hearing for the union to address issued raised by the county.

Here is the county's press release

On Thursday morning, January 8, 2026, the Nebraska Commission of Industrial Relations (“CIR”) convened to hear the case filed by the Nebraska Association of Public Employees / AFSCME Local 61 (“Union”) to determine wages and terms and conditions of employment of the Richardson County Highway Department (“County”) employees represented by the Union.

 The Union called as witnesses to testify on its behalf Highway Department employees Brian Dettman, Ronald Ramer, Randy Gilsdorf, Donald Goff, Larry Willman, and Matt Bletscher, who testified as to the work they performed for the County.

The Union then called as its expert witness, Mark Murphy, Associate Director of the Union’s Department of Research and Collective Bargaining Services located in Washington, D.C. The Union called Mark Murphy to present expert opinion on wages and fringe benefits in the seven counties selected by the CIR for comparison to the County. The County raised numerous objections to his testimony, causing the Union to request that the hearing be continued in order for it to resolve the County’s objections raised at the hearing. The parties agreed to continue the hearing to March 16 and 17, 2026, and the case was ordered continued by the CIR.