County commissioners, AFSCME reject 3-year contract proposal

The human resources director said a 'me-too' clause is bad business.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- It's back to the bargaining table for a group of unionized Mahoning County employees after a proposed contract agreement was nixed this week by both sides.
The county's contract with the American Federation of State, Federal and Municipal Employees Local 2001 expired a year ago, said Connie Pierce, county human resources director. The union, which represents about 200 employees at the Department of Job and Family Services, has worked under a contract extension since then.
Contract talks were put into the hands of a state fact finder earlier this year. The fact finder, appointed by the State Employment Relations Board, recently handed in a report in which he recommended that employees get a three-year contract with raises of 3 percent the first year and 2 percent in the second and third years.
'Me-too clause'
But it also includes language known as a "me-too clause" that would require commissioners to pay the union more money if any other employees -- union or nonunion -- at JFS get a higher raise, Pierce said.
In other words, if any other JFS employees, including the department director, receive a raise higher than the 3 percent or 2 percent recommended by the fact finder, the AFSCME workers also would get that amount.
Pierce said that's a dangerous precedent to set in contract negotiations and recommended that commissioners Ed Reese and Vicki Allen Sherlock vote down the proposal, which they did. Commissioner David Ludt was absent.
Pierce said the union also rejected the proposal earlier this week. She said SERB will be notified that the contract remains unresolved and the two sides will go back to the bargaining table.