YOUNGSTOWN Agency workers threaten strike

An agency official said health-care costs are a major sticking point.
THE VINDICATOR
By CYNTHIA VINARSKY
VINDICATOR BUSINESS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Unionized workers at five Turning Point Counseling Services facilities are threatening to strike at noon Tuesday unless they reach a new contract agreement.
Kathy Carr, a spokeswoman for Service Employees International Union District 1199, said the union represents about 100 Turning Point workers whose contract expires at midnight Monday. Members include counselors, case managers and office workers.
Negotiations began in January and a federal mediator has been involved for about two weeks. The union filed its 10-day strike notice June 18 as required by law.
Members will vote on the agency's last contract proposal today, but SEIU Ohio Area Director Becky Williams said union leaders are certain they will reject the offer.
Based on Belmont Avenue, Turning Point is the agency name adopted in January when Parkview Counseling Center and Eastern Behavioral Health Center merged. The agency has five locations and has a caseload of between 2,500 and 3,000 clients.
The agency is under contract with the Mahoning County Mental Health Board to provide counseling, psychotherapy, diagnostic assessment, crisis intervention, hospitalization and other services to adults in the county.
Cites health-care costs
Joseph Sylvester, director, said the agency is struggling to meet rising health-care costs, especially since the state of Ohio reduced its funding allocation this year.
He said union members worked with agency officials last fall to choose a new, more reasonably priced health-care insurer. Now Turning Point is asking workers to pay 10 percent of their annual health insurance premium, offset by a 2 percent wage increase this year and a comparable raise next year.
Carr said the union believes workers would actually be taking a pay cut because the health insurance premium would exceed the raise. Sylvester disagreed, saying the pay increase would allow workers to at least break even.
He said the company wants a three-year agreement but the union prefers a two-year pact. SEIU agreed a year ago to a one-year contract extension with a 4 percent salary increase.
No talks are scheduled, but Sylvester said he's still hoping the two sides can meet and reach an agreement before the strike deadline. Williams, the SEIU area director, said the union is willing to meet any time. "Nobody there wants a strike," she said.
vinarsky@vindy.com