Employees of Mountain Water Company sent a letter today to Missoula Mayor John Engen, unanimously rejecting the Mayor’s stipulated offer of employment.

The offer was supposed to be signed before last Monday, but Attorney Gary Zadick, who represents the Mountain Water Employees says the offer was not what his clients wanted.

"Require them to respond by October 13, well, you know this condemnation case is in its early stages," Zadick said. "They're part of it. They banded together to protect their wages and benefits, and terms and conditions of employment. So, this is their response to the mayor and city council. They met and did this together as a group on their own."

The letter also states that the employees would rather be managed by Liberty Utilities, and urged the city to give up its “costly, and unnecessary” attempt to manage the water system.

"The mayor's legal team sent a form stipulation to me that they wanted employees that they were willing to keep to sign now that didn't match wages and benefits," Zadick said. "The employees believe there's good reasons to keep the company private, they like the private employment, and their wages and benefits are better than what the city proposes.

A press release from Zadic’s office states that the mountain water employees “prefer to work for an experienced water system owner that treats them with trust and respect.”

Gary Zadick:

More From Newstalk KGVO 1290 AM & 98.3 FM