SOUTHINGTON Workers' strike is declared a lockout

The benefits run for 26 weeks with the possibility of a 13-week extension.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Because management changed the terms of the contract without union approval, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has ruled the Southington classified workers' strike a lockout.
That means the 10 secretaries, custodians and bus drivers are eligible for unemployment benefits, said Dennis Evans, a spokesman for the department.
Ohio Association of Public School Employees hit the picket line Aug. 25 after the school board imposed a contract. Five cafeteria workers, who are union members, previously crossed the line and returned to work.
The imposition came after negotiations between the two sides failed to reach an agreement.
The members objected to the contract's terms, specifically a section dealing with health insurance. The State Employment Relations Board ruled last month that the board's contract implementation didn't constitute an unfair labor practice.
Wendy Tietz, president of OAPSE Local 673, said some members started receiving checks Tuesday.
"We're just thrilled beyond words," she said. "Now we'll be able to make it through the winter. Some of us were hurting."
Band of support
Members banded together to help each other with things like bill payments and transportation. They also received donations of food and cash from area unions and support from the community, Tietz said.
"We never would have made it without all of their support," she said.
School district officials couldn't be reached this morning.
Evans said the percentage each union member gets of his or her weekly pay depends on the number of dependents they have.
"Right now, nobody is focusing on the percentage, they're just glad we got it," Tietz said.
She said the union wants the board to return to the negotiating table.
The benefits run for 26 weeks with the possibility of a 13-week extension.
"We're set now for six more months," Tietz said. "People say nobody wins in a strike, and I agree, except that the 10 of us here who have worked together for 20 years, or even for five years, our relationship has grown. We're tighter."
denise.dick@vindy.com