Negotiators for Franklin County Children Services and the Professionals Guild of Ohio returned to the bargaining table today in hopes of ending a two week-old strike against the agency. But, while talks resume, caseworkers will stay on the picket line. WOSU's Tom Borgerding reports.
More than a dozen pickets were on duty at mid-morning at the entrance to Franklin County Children's Services on West Mound Street, including Danny Dahl. Dahl has worked for the agency for 25 years, but he says he'll stay on the picket line a bit longer if it helps the union get a better contract.
"What we understand is that we pretty well decided that we have to hold the line. We have to stay where we're at this particular point. We think it's necessary for all of us to maintain not only a salary but also the benefits."
Dahl and more than 5-hundred other union members have stayed off the job for two weeks. Earlier talks collapsed when Children Services negotiators insisted union members begin paying a health-care premium. The agency says in recent years its health care costs have gone up more than one-hundred percent and it needs to offset some of those costs with worker premiums. Now, union member Cheryl Dempsey says, it appears the two sides will again try to negotiate health care costs.
"I would definitely say it's on the table. It's definitely a big one. You know we have to look at it's a pay cut. That's something the public is not aware of. For me it is a three year pay cut. In the third year a very big pay cut."
For its part, Franklin County Children Service has been operating for the past two weeks on an emergency strike plan. Spokeswoman Kay Marshall says supervisors are handling emergency cases.
"We have been able to keep our 24 hour hotline operational and that is to report abuse or neglect. We also have been able to initiate allegations of abuse or neglect."
Marshall says the agency is looking forward to both sides presenting new contract proposals to see whether there can be a resolution to the strike.