Agency outlines contract proposal

Prior agreement expired in August

A new work contract would have “unprecedented” concessions resulting in pay raises for most workers at the Lorain County Community Action Agency, according to the agency’s management.

But a union leader bristled at the prospect of more money without changes to other policies affecting the work conditions.

Contract negotiations continue among Community Action workers and administrators, with the most recent talks taking place on Sept. 27, 28 and 30.

On Oct. 1, Community Action Agency President and CEO Jackie Boehnlein issued a statement outlining the agency’s proposal for workers, who are represented by the Service Employees International Union 1199.

Community Action would adopt a $15 minimum wage for existing employees and new hires, increased from Ohio’s $8.80 minimum wage, according to the contract proposal.

If accepted, about 44 current employees will receive an increase in pay under the proposal.

Between the $15 minimum wage and addition of longevity adjustments almost all employees will receive an immediate wage increase upon contract ratification.

“Each one of these new benefits shows the Agency’s commitment to competitive wages, good benefits, and desirable working conditions,” Boehnlein said. “The main economic issue in past negotiations was the employee’s cost of medical benefits.

Most employers cover 60 percent to 80 percent of the costs of health insurance even though they are only required to cover a minimum of 50 percent by law.

By contrast, Community Action will continue to pay 85 percent of healthcare costs without any plan or benefit level changes.

The union representatives and management team are working with a federal mediator who is neutral in the negotiations, Boehnlein said.

The former three-year contract expired Aug. 7.

Negotiations for a new contract were bolstered, in part, by the agency agreeing to SEIU 1199’s demand in late August to submit one comprehensive proposal.

In return, SEIU 1199 agreed to suspend its plans to picket the places of employment of Community Action board members and other pressure tactics, according to Community Action.

Other agency concessions include a wage adjustment for all current and new hire employees of 10 cents for each year of service.

Longevity pay would be new for the agency workers, who have an average tenure of 10 years.

The proposed contract adds two full day holidays and two half-day holidays, bringing the number of full and partially-paid holidays to 15 per year.

The new holidays include the employee’s birthday as a floating holiday, Juneteenth and half days on election day and Good Friday.

Community Action also has proposed changes to pay workers for sick time balances and to add a vacation bank of two days per year for all employees as an expanded benefit.

It would be the first time ever all employees at Community Action will have a vacation benefit.

The agency asked for changes and union concessions related to employee disciplinary process, sexual harassment and discrimination claims and limits on annual paid bereavement leaves, which previously were unlimited, officials said.

SEIU 1199 Executive Vice President Anthony Caldwell said pay and those changes still are on the table.

“Now that we’re trying to push them to reach an agreement, rather than working with us and bargaining in good faith on things like discipline, discharge, the grievance procedure, bereavement and other issues that really matter to our members, they are attempting to basically buy off this language from workers by throwing a financial proposal at them that they thought the workers would just accept on face value and not still have concerns about some of the regressive proposals that they had offered to the union,” Caldwell said.

The agency also has published a website, www. lccaanegotiations.net, with the expired contract and documents related to negotiations.

The three-year term of the contract does not seem to be a point of contention, Boehnlein said.