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Commissioner: JFS layoffs likely
JFS workers are represented by four collective bargaining units.
YOUNGSTOWN — Due to the loss of $5 million in state and federal funds combined, some layoffs are almost certain to occur this year in the Mahoning County Department of Job and Family Services, said county Commissioner John A. McNally IV.
McNally said he expects 10 to 14 of the 303 JFS workers will be laid off. The layoffs would increase caseloads for workers who remain and likely mean longer waits for service for clients, he said.
After the layoffs, JFS workers will all be on an 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. work schedule, rather than the staggered 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. schedules they work now, McNally said.
“We have had to make some decisions, and one of those decisions is trying to do some reorganization of the way JFS operates, and that will probably involve some layoffs,” McNally said.
The layoffs will occur in both the income maintenance and child support enforcement functions of JFS, he said.
The $5 million loss has occurred since the 2007 federal and state combined allocation, which totaled $26.1 million. The 2009 allocation is $21.1 million.
In recent days, JFS management and leaders of its labor unions have been discussing concessions the unions might make to reduce job losses, said county Commissioner David N. Ludt.
“There could be additional [funding] cuts. If there are additional cuts, we could have a lot of layoffs,” Ludt said.
George J. Tablack, county administrator and budget director, said he and Judee L. Genetin, JFS’ acting director, “are actively involved in numerous meetings and discussions with some of our largest unions looking at potential concessions and cost-cutting measures.” Genetin could not be reached to comment.
JFS workers are represented by four collective bargaining units: two locals of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and one local each of the Teamsters and United Auto Workers.
Because of the $5 million state and federal funding cut, local social service agencies, with which JFS has contracts, will have those agreements terminated at the end of February for a savings of about $850,000, McNally said.
Among those contracts is one that funds a truancy intervention program in the Youngstown city schools and others that fund Community Legal Services, which provides legal assistance to poor people; Hope House, which provides supervised child visitation programs in domestic relations cases; Burdman Group, which offers mental health services and a domestic violence shelter; Goodwill, which serves disabled people; and Beatitude House, which provides job training services.
Given further cuts expected in next year’s state funding, McNally said he isn’t sure if JFS will be able to fund these agencies at all in the new state fiscal year that will begin July 1.
JFS offices are in the county-owned Oakhill Renaissance Place, which is the former Forum Health Southside Medical Center.
milliken@vindy.com