National UAW President backs Lorain County JFS demands for fair contract

SHEFFIELD — With less than 36 hours until county Job and Family Service workers' strike deadline, United Auto Workers Local 2192 JFS unit chairperson Gina Jones stood beside national UAW President Shawn Fain to implore Lorain County reach a fair agreement by Wednesday morning. The 144 Job and Family Services workers represented by the local will go on strike at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday if a contract with the county is not reached beforehand. Job and Family Services has seen high turnover, low wages and high health care costs during the past five years, Fain said, forcing workers to use food banks and place their children on Medicaid because they cannot afford to have them on the county's health plan. The starting wage for child support and case managers ranges from about $16 to $18.79 per hour. "Let's think about that — the same people who administer public assistance for this community are relying on it," Fain said. "Meanwhile, the commissioners have added dozens of administrative positions, making over $100,000. They funneled millions to their megasite and that should concern every taxpayer of Lorain County." During the negotiation process, a neutral fact finder affirmed JFS workers' plight, he said, but the county rejected that report and terminated negotiations. He said the union remains ready to negotiate and settle a contract, but said the county is not giving them any options. "This dispute isn't about special treatment," he said. "It's about whether people who serve this community can afford to stay and do the work." After Monday's news conference at the United Auto Workers Local 2000 hall, Fain said the workers at JFS are not asking to be millionaires, only to be treated fairly. He said the members of Local 2192 count within the UAW just as much as larger bargaining units, and that they have the national union's support. "This story, it's typical of what's going on in this country," he said. "It doesn't matter if it's commissioners or the city or county or if it's a corporation, it's the same thing. They can afford to take care of these workers. … They're asking to be treated fairly and equally as their counterparts in other areas." He said the services JFS workers provide to families in Lorain County, which include administering cash, food and medical assistance programs, child support and publicly funded child care. Jones said if workers strike Wednesday, it will create delays for families accessing JFS services. The last time the union was on strike was September to November 2017 over spousal health care coverage. Workers do not want to go on strike, Fain said, and laid the issue at the commissioners' feet. "They're not even trying to get an agreement," he said. Jones said her health care costs have skyrocketed since she started with Job and Family Services 19 years ago, and her wages have not kept up. When she was hired, her insurance cost about $34 per month. Now, those costs have ballooned to more than $500 each month for the same coverage. "The dollar that these workers are making today is not worth the dollar they were making when they first started," she said. County Commissioner Dave Moore said the county offered its "last, best and final" contract to the union on Friday. He said there are plans in place if the union strikes on Wednesday to keep services intact. Outside of the negotiations, he said the county is looking at its health care costs, but noted lowering the fees will mean lowering coverage. "Honestly, it's up to them," Moore said. "As far as we're concerned, we got the last and best offer sitting out there. If it takes them one week, that's fine, if it takes them one year, that's fine. The fact of the matter is we've laid it all out. The taxpayers have said no more taxes and we only have limited amount of money to work with … it's not like we have excess cash for salaries. The budget's the budget, the contract is fair." Contac Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.