County, Children Services union sign 3-year contract after a year of turmoil
‘Unheard of’ agreement forworkerswho handle cases for 2K children.
Montgomery County and the union that represents its Children Services workers have agreed to an “unheard of” threeyear contract in the wake of an impasse, a strike and court case last year and a current battle over caseloads and unfilled positions.
After county commissioners voted Tuesday to approve the resolution, the room erupted in applause and the meeting was suspended momentarily for commissioners and a host of Children Services workers to ceremonially sign the contract.
“Hopefully some of that bad blood will go by the wayside,” said Jane Hay, Professionals Guild of Ohio Council 12 president. “We are working toward a better partnership and moving forward for the betterment of the kids and the families that we serve. It can only benefit everybody.”
Montgomery County Commissioner Debbie Lieberman said the county is happy negotiations didn’t collapse like last year.
“It could have gone another way,” she said. “So we’re very, very pleased with this.”
Hay said it’s the first time the county has agreed to more than a two-year contract with the union that represents the county’s child welfare workers who handle abuse and neglect cases for some 2,000 children.
“T h i s wa s like in record-breaking time that we got this one done, and a three-year contract,” she said. “It’s just unheard of.”
Hay said the demands of the job and the coronavirus pandemic have left the ranks of caseworkers depleted, but the county has promised to step up hiring. The Professionals Guild of Ohio represents about 270 bargaining unit positions, but as many as 50 are open, she said.
“You’ve got to keep the positions filled because that’s the meat and potatoes of what we do,” she said. “Those are the people who go out knocking on the doors keeping the kids safe.”
Hay said the county has provided assurances open positions will be filled. Children Services has the clearance to fill 17 positions and is working on securing more, according to a county spokesperson.
Last September, the sides came to agreement on a
contentiouswage reopener, but not before the union called a strike, which was met by the county filing for injunctive relief and a judge ordering workers back to their jobs. Eligible employees eventually received a 4.5% raise and others eligible at the top or above their pay scales received that percentage as a lump sum.
Hay said with the financial pressure put on the county by the coronavirus pandemic, the union agreed to no wage increase in the first year of the new 20202023 bargaining agreement retroactive to April 1.
PGOmemberswill receive a $750 lump sum signing bonus for 2020, a 1% pay increase in 2021, and a 2% increase in 2022. It also increases tuition reimbursement
from$2,300 to $3,500 per year, along with expanding bereavement leave to include aunts and uncles.
Hay said “stability” was the first need for members as they are juggling demanding jobs during a pandemic.
“They are trying to be teachers at home and social workers,” she said
According to the county, the new contract incorporated changes to the afterhoursworker policy to help ensure more effective operations and management rights were enhanced for disciplinary issues and investigations.
Children Services workers will receive a 1% raise in the second year and 2% in the final year, she said.
Montgomery County Administrator Michael
Colbert said the new bargaining agreement coupled with a new strategic plan in the works will result in an improvedChildren Services.
“It takes a team. We have to do this as a partnership,” he said. “This puts us in a great position to really move this agency forward.”
Following the death of an infant earlier this year and that of 10-year-old Takoda Collins last year, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a state review of “alternative response” cases handled by the agency.
The governor’s review found “many strengths” but also “identified systemic factors that impacted caseworker practice and supervisory oversight of assessments/investigations.”
The report also concluded last year’s strike led to “gaps in contacts with families and delays in recording assessment activities in (the statewide child welfare database).”
While the new contract may prevent another strike, Hay said the new agreement won’t necessarily prevent deaths like those.
“I don’t know that a contract would do that on any day,” she said. “Unfortunately accidents, tragedies do happen. We know the workers do the best they can under the agency guidelines, the state rules and guidelines, and the law.”