Former Finance Director for the Town of Colchester, Mary Williamson, who was terminated following a memorandum of understanding reached between the town and the municipal employees union, has appealed a Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations decision upholding her termination to the superior court.

Williamson claims in her filing that although the labor board determined she was a department head and therefore not a part of the Municipal Employees Union Independent Local 506, the Board never addressed the merits of her amended complaint – namely, that the town and union acted improperly in removing her from the union.

“In the second amended complaint, Ms. Williamson alleges that the Town and Union committed practices that are prohibited under the Municipal Employee Relations Act (“MERA”) by, among other things, removing the position that she held with the Town—Finance Director—from the applicable collective bargaining unit in an improper manner and for improper reasons and then, in the Union’s case, refusing to represent her after the Town placed her on administrative leave,” Williamson alleges in her appeal.

The long saga of Williamson’s termination dates back to 2023, when newly elected Colchester First Selectman Bernie Dennler placed Williamson on leave pending investigation over “allegations regarding your conduct involving purchases made which circumvented the normal budgeting and Purchase Order process.” 

The letter placing her on administrative leave came one day after a MOU was signed between the town and the municipal employees union, stating that her position as finance director was not part of the bargaining unit, meaning that she would not be represented by the union as the town moved to place her on leave and, eventually, terminate her.

Prior to 2022, the position of finance director had been considered part of the union, as the town finance director and the Board of Education finance director both reported to a chief financial officer. However, that position went unfilled and was eventually dissolved prior to Williamson becoming finance director. 

The town and union claimed – and the labor relations board agreed – that since there was no longer a CFO position, it made the position of finance director head of the department and therefore not covered under the collective bargaining agreement. 

However, as late as 2023 the union was arguing the finance director position was included as part of the collective bargaining agreement and a legal review for the town found that although Superior Court had determined the position was not covered by the union, a pre-existing MOU placing the position of finance director within the union was likely to be a “persuasive argument,” and that the union “would likely file a prohibited practice charge” with the labor board if the town were to claim the finance director position was not part of the union.

The legal review discussing the previous MOU came in November 2023; little more than a month later, the union and the new administration for the town executed a new MOU stating that the finance director position was not part of the union.

Williamson alleges that the new town administration and the union essentially “worked together to kick her out of the union after she raised questions about the use of town funds and other matters,” according to Nathan McGrath, president of the nonprofit law firm The Fairness Center, which represented Williamson in her case before the labor board and in her appeal to Superior Court.

During the prior administration under Republican Andreas Bisbikos, Williamson had raised concerns over spending by Colchester Town Clerk Gayle Furman, a Democrat, and Bisbikos had initiated an investigation that resulted in a fiery Board of Selectmen meeting that devolved quickly into political accusations and name-calling. Furman was cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General.  

After being placed on leave, Williamson refused to participate in the town’s investigation, citing the upcoming hearings before the labor relations board. 

Williamson was terminated in April of 2024, after the town’s investigation determined she had added $8,000 of vacation time to her own payroll, used insurance benefits she’d not paid for, and made unauthorized purchases. Williamson disputed those findings in an interview with Inside Investigator and claimed the release of the investigation report prior to her labor board hearing was “not coincidental.” 

Following the state labor board decision siding with the Town of Colchester, First Selectman Bernie Dennler issued a statement saying the position of Finance Director “clearly meets the criteria” for being management and not covered by collective bargaining.

According to Williamson’s filing in Superior Court, the labor board “observed” that under the Municipal Employees Relations Act, a prohibited practice cannot be found if Williamson is “a statutory department head.”

“Against this backdrop, the Board dismissed the second amended complaint,” Williamson’s appeal states. “As a corollary, it did not address the merits of the prohibited practices claims that Ms. Williamson asserts in the second amended complaint,” and claims the board’s decision violates statutory provisions, was made upon unlawful procedure, was “erroneous in view of the reliable, probative, and substantial evidence,” and was arbitrary and capricious.

Williamson is asking the court to “vacate and reverse the Decision, remand this matter to the Board for further proceedings, and grant any other relief as it deems just and equitable,” according to the appeal.

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