DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) – The Professionals Guild of Ohio, which represents roughly 270 child welfare workers, is set to vote on Montgomery County’s recent pay raise offer this Wednesday.
This comes after both sides met for public mediation on Monday.
PGO leadership told 2 NEWS Reporter Ethan Fitzgerald, “We are voting on their proposal. We are not recommending it to our membership,” said Jane Hay, PGO President.
The mediation was ordered by Common Pleas Judge Richard S. Skelton who made clear to both sides that he is concerned about the impending end of an injunction that stopped the strike on Day 1.
After several closed meditations, Judge Skelton opened his court to the public.
“It’s much better, I think – to get a resolution when both sides feel they can speak freely,” said Skelton.
The judge also formally announced both sides have agreed on a 5 percent wage increase.
However, other issues surrounding the distribution of money and potential strike-related punishments remain, meaning no deal for now.
“I want to bridge the gap to help ensure, as much as I can, the protection that needs to be afforded to the citizens for this county,” said Skelton.
The major hangup between Montgomery County and PGO comes down to a pre-negotiated threshold. The two sides will actually need an entirely new deal in a few months.
For the caseworkers that make over a certain amount of money – who are likely either “veterans” of their trade or transferred from high paying jobs in other places – the county wants to pay those people via a lump sum.
PGO does not want, who they estimate being more 50 employees, to get their raise in a lump sum payment. They are concerned about how that impacts overtime and potentially people that will retire within a year.
Both sides did mediate in private with Judge Skelton.
2 NEWS will follow this story and update you with the latest.
