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62 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, May 27, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Britt Festival Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 18, 2005 Union challenges Medford services plan By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Jackson County officials are proceeding with plans to privatize a program for high-risk moms and babies, even as the local employees’ union vows to fight the move. Qualified nonprofit organizations have until Friday to express interest in taking over local operation of the state Healthy Start program — including the six county employees who staff it. Hank Collins, director of Jackson County Health and Human Services, announced last month that budget worries are forcing him to seek bids from agencies that can provide a similar service for less money, mostly by transferring union workers to jobs with lower salaries and fewer benefits. "There has to be some relief from these escalating health and PERS (pension) costs," said Collins, who expects employee expenses to rise 16 percent this year. If it’s successful, Collins said he’ll consider outsourcing other county services and positions. A work session to discuss the idea with Jackson County Commissioners has been set for June 14. Advertisement "We could talk about subcontracting everything," Collins said. "We haven’t had that conversation yet." But officials from SEIU Local 503, which represents about 700 workers, vowed to block the effort, saying it violates collective bargaining agreements. "Local 503 will utilize the grievance procedure should you proceed with the involuntary transfer of employees to a nonprofit agency and deny them their status as county employees," Steve Neuberger, senior union organizer, wrote in a letter to Collins. The six employees affected by the proposal have a combined 70 years of experience working with high-risk, first-time mothers, Neuberger said. "The current workers are very upset that management would suggest they’d be content doing the same, very difficult work for 40 percent less in total benefits than the county compensates," he said. A typical paraprofessional home visitor employed by the county earns nearly $52,000 in wages and benefits. The same position at a local nonprofit pays about $32,000 a year. County workers are also concerned about the quality of the care nonprofit agencies provide, Neuberger said. State law allows transfer of employees from one public entity to another, including nonprofit agencies. Employees who transfer to nonprofit jobs retain their former salary and benefits, including health insurance, for one year. After that, they retain seniority, but their salaries and benefits are lowered to the new levels. The county has never invoked the state Intergovernmental Transfer Act, even though about half of the $39 million Health and Human Services budget is routed through subcontractors. Quite frankly, Collins said, he only recently learned about the law. That doesn’t mean he has to enforce it, Neuberger countered. "The county is choosing to use (the transfer act), and that is their choice," he said. County officials will consider employee compensation plans when they review bids. Low wages and benefits often result in high turnover, which hurts clients, he noted. "We need to be concerned about quality," he said. As of Tuesday, only one bid had been submitted for the Healthy Start project. Collins declined to identify the agency. The Healthy Start proposal will be a test case for county and union officials alike, those on both sides said. "It will give us a chance to determine what services are best provided by the county and what are the other options," Collins said. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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