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Mahoning Co. engineer’s office seeks concessions from Teamsters workers
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Marilyn Kenner
YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County engineer’s office is seeking concessions from its Teamsters union employees, which it says could reduce the number of layoffs it will have to impose this spring.
A Teamsters union official said, however, his union is taking a disproportionate share of the department’s layoffs, and the union will have a certified public accountant examine the engineer’s finances, which are a matter of public record, to see how that office spends its money.
“Unfortunately, we are torn between purchasing salt and cold mix and other construction materials to keep the roads in good shape or keeping people on the payroll. It’s a terrible situation to be in,” said Marilyn Kenner, chief deputy county engineer.
Because of declining license-plate-fee revenue, the department tentatively plans to lay off 11 members of Teamsters Local 377 on April 1 if there are no union concessions, Kenner said.
“I need to get through the winter” snow- and ice-removal season, Kenner said, explaining why the projected layoffs are tentatively set for that date.
If the Teamsters agree to take a 5 percent pay cut in the form of an unpaid floating holiday every month, two or three of the 11 layoffs could be prevented, she said.
If that increases to a 10 percent pay cut in the form of an unpaid floating holiday every two weeks, five or six layoffs could be prevented, she added.
Kenner said concessions, however, are not likely to entirely eliminate layoffs.
Management also has asked the union, which is now in the final year of a three-year contract, to rescind the 3 percent pay raise union members received Jan. 1.
All nonunion employees of the engineer’s office have been under a pay freeze for the last two years. Except for the elected County Engineer Richard A. Marsico, the nonunion workers have been taking one unpaid day off a month since Jan. 1, Kenner said.
Marsico could not be reached for comment.
“We have some issues as far as where the money is being spent,” said Sam Prosser, Teamsters Local 377 president. “We want a full investigation. That’s what I’m calling for.
“We know [county engineering department] cars are going home at night,” including one leaving the county, he said. Take-home county cars increase fuel and insurance costs, he added.
“Their reduction in staff was minimal compared to the cuts they want us to suffer,” Prosser said, referring to the five nonunion employees the engineer’s office laid off, effective Jan. 31. Those layoffs consisted of three tax-map-department employees and two engineering technicians.
The 11 layoffs proposed for the Teamsters are in addition to nine Teamsters who were furloughed at the end of 2008, Prosser said. Two of the nine have since been recalled.
The engineer’s department has 58 union and 25 nonunion employees.
Prosser noted that when the current union contract was negotiated, the membership got raises and two new union members were hired.
Prosser said he’s aware of the impact of the economic recession, but he added, “Our biggest question is: Where has all this money gone in this short amount of time?”
He concluded: “I have no problem with the guys voting to take concessions. It’ll be up to them. It’s not up to me.”
milliken@vindy.com