CSEA union workers prepare for strike

The union wants more money, but the county says the cupboard is bare.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Negotiations to head off a strike at the Mahoning County Child Support Enforcement Agency will continue into the 11th hour, but workers there aren't expecting a resolution.
"Our people are packing up and getting ready to shut it down," said Marcel Trevathan, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3577. "As far as I can see there is no hope."
Local 3577's 80 members will go on strike at 6 a.m. Monday if a new wage agreement is not reached. They are in the middle of a contract but want to reopen wage negotiations and seek pay raises.
The sides met for a mediation session Thursday night and another one is scheduled for Sunday, said county Administrator Gary Kubic.
Effect on clients: Dee Crawford, executive director of the county Job and Family Services, said the office will remain open if the union walks out. Trevathan said the strike will be peaceful and pickets won't interfere with people entering or leaving the building.
Crawford said support payments won't be affected because that's done in Columbus, not locally.
County commissioners have said there is no money to cover raises, and their position was supported in an independent fact-finder's report last month. The fact-finder said it would be irresponsible to grant raises given the agency's dire financial condition.
"No one wants a strike, but the heart of the matter is that we have less work and too many employees," Kubic said.
Overstaffed: Commissioners have said the agency is in a $1.3 million budget deficit, largely because it is overstaffed. Some 40 employees were hired in 1997 to help with conversion to a state-mandated Support Enforcement Tracking System, which took collection and distribution of child support out of the county's hands and does it at the state level.
The system is now in place and those extra employees are no longer needed, Kubic said. Commissioners tried to get back to original staffing levels through attrition, not replacing some 25 employees who left the agency since 1998, but it wasn't enough.
To make up the difference, 16 agency workers were laid off March 23. None of the laid-off workers are AFSCME workers.
Kubic said the county can't justify laying off some employees while granting raises to others and doesn't want to use general fund money to subsidize the child support agency.
"We are trying to get this agency to live within its own revenue," he said, noting general fund money was not used to fund CSEA until the deficit arose.
He said commissioners want to wait until July 1 and see how much money the state provides in poundage reimbursements. If it's more than expected, a raise could be negotiated. But if it's less, "Things will only get worse," he said.
Poundage is a monthly fee in addition to child support that is paid by the noncustodial parent to the county handling the account.
Union's view: Trevathan said AFSCME workers are discouraged because other employees got raises last year, while their union is being told the system is out of money. He also said supervisors are being paid overtime for work that should be done by union workers.
"It's just a shell game and we are tired of it," he said.