Mahoning deputies approve concessions to avert layoffs, cuts in jail operations

A unit of lieutenants, captains and sergeants, however, rejected the package.

Staff Report

YOUNGSTOWN — After more than 36 hours of meetings and deliberations, deputies of the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department approved a concessions package Saturday.

“No one is happy,” said Chuck Wilson, staff representative for the Fraternal Order of Police and the Ohio Labor Council.

“But everybody understands it’s a difficult time and they wanted to maintain the jail and maintain jobs,” he said Saturday.

The package results in about a 20 percent pay decrease for every employee, he said. The deputies will cut one work day and one day’s pay per two-week pay period, Wilson added. The deputies also accepted other income-reducing provisions, such as loss of hazardous duty pay.

The average incoming salary for a deputy is less than $20,000 a year. Starting wages are about $11.50 per hour, and the majority of the deputies are in the incoming classification, he said.

“I am proud of the major concessions that our deputy sheriffs have agreed to,” Mahoning County Sheriff Randall A. Wellington said.

“Because of them, we will be able to achieve most of the reductions needed to keep both our jails open and fully staffed in order to keep our community safe,” he said.

Wellington and his leadership team will also take a 10 percent pay reduction, he said.

County commissioners have cut the sheriff’s department budget from about $21 million in 2008 to about $18 million in 2009 because of reductions in sales tax revenue and a decline in funds from revenue-generating prisoners.

“They needed $3 million to keep everything running and to keep staff,” Wilson said.

“I think [deputies] really took into consideration keeping the jail open, keeping jobs and upholding safety in the community,” he said.

The Gold Unit, which consists of sergeants, lieutenants and captains, did not agree to the concessions.

“I’m disappointed in a majority of our sergeants, lieutenants and captains who didn’t approve these concessions, despite our best efforts to bargain in good faith,” Wellington said.

“This will force me to seek additional legal remedies before we ultimately reach fact-finding and conciliation as required by Ohio’s Collective Bargaining laws,” he said.

The sheriff’s department laid off 11 full-time deputies earlier this month and left four positions vacant to save $500,000. All 15 positions were in the county jail.

Within the next 18 months, there will probably be about 10 more layoffs, Wilson said, noting that people will go for various reasons such as retirement, resignations or disability.

That number could have climbed to 100 if the concessions had been rejected, he added.