More than 270 Ohio child welfare caseworkers and their support staff could soon be going on strike.
The Professional Guild of Ohio, which represents Montgomery County Job And Family Services workers, on Monday, saying they plan to walk off the job July 19 if they can鈥檛 reach a new agreement.
鈥淭he only thing on the table is negotiations for wages,鈥� says Jane Hay, president of the local union office.
Hay says members have been overwhelmed and pushed to the breaking point by the opioid crisis, and they need to be compensated accordingly. Child welfare caseworkers facilitate foster care and adoption and work with abused and neglected children and their families.
鈥淲e always advocate and try to get our families to advocate for themselves and stand up for themselves, so we need to lead by example,鈥� Hay says. 鈥淲e need to stand up for ourselves.鈥�
Hay says Montgomery County child welfare caseworkers make between $19.60 and $30.37 per hour.
A proposal made by union members called for raises up to 6%, with 4% guaranteed and another 2% tied to annual evaluations. A fact-finder appointed by the State Employment Relations Board sided with most parts of the union鈥檚 request, but county commissioners rejected the fact-finder鈥檚 report at their June meeting. (A copy of the report can be viewed below.)
鈥淢ontgomery County鈥檚 last offer to PGO would have provided fair and competitive compensation to our employees, and ensured that we remain responsible stewards of taxpayer money and our human services levy funds," reads a statement from Montgomery County administrator Michael Colbert, following the strike notice.
The statement also says 鈥渙perations will remain open and we will continue to provide high-quality services during a strike鈥� by using a strike contingency plan that employs about 70 people to cover 鈥渆ssential services.鈥�
Hay calls the county鈥檚 reaction to the labor strife 鈥渟ad.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing this for 11 years with the opioid crisis," Hay says. "We have built relationships with these families, and it鈥檚 going to be really hard for anybody else to try to come in to service these families.鈥�
Strikes involving child welfare workers are relatively rare but not unheard of. Employees in Butler County , about two months after a similar strike in Montgomery County was narrowly avoided.
Butler County workers after three weeks, without a contract, but sealed a new deal a few months later. As a result, the county agreed to increase salaries while giving out merit raises for the first time.
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