MAHONING CO. Agency workers go out on strike

Commissioners think the union violated a no-strike clause in its contract.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Nearly 80 employees of the Mahoning County Child Support Enforcement Agency hit the picket line this morning in a dispute over wages.
The workers, represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3577, are asking for a 5 percent wage increase and a $1,000 signing bonus.
They are in the middle of a three-year contract but want to reopen wage negotiations.
County commissioners and officials at the county Department of Job and Family Services, which oversees CSEA, say the department has a $1.3 million budget deficit and can't afford the raises.
The sides met for a mediation session Sunday, but were unable to come to an agreement.
Complaint filed: County Administrator Gary Kubic said the county has filed an unfair-labor practice complaint against the union, alleging that it violated a no-strike clause in the collective bargaining agreement. The complaint is pending before the State Employment Relations Board.
"We believe there is an issue there based on language in their contract," Kubic said. He would not comment further because the complaint is pending.
Union President Marcel Trevathan could not be reached to comment this morning.
Dee Crawford, executive director of the county Job and Family Services, said the office will remain open and be staffed by supervisors. She said support payments won't be affected because that's done in Columbus, not locally.
County commissioners' 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.
The union has rejected that report.
Staffing: Commissioners have said the agency is in a 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 moved it to 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 is an AFSCME worker.
Commissioners said they can't justify laying off some employees while granting raises to others and don't want to use general fund money to subsidize the child support agency.
Commissioners want to wait until July 1 to see how much money the state provides in poundage reimbursements. If it's more than expected, a raise could be negotiated.
Poundage is a monthly fee in addition to child support that is paid by the noncustodial parent to the county handling the account.