After contract negotiations to renew a 2016 contract broke down, court administrators for the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court and Detention Facility ended negotiations in December and kicked out the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 860, who represented 135 workers. Recently, Cuyahoga County officials agreed to a pay raise for juvenile court workers from $18 to $24 per hour due to a staffing crisis that led to juveniles being locked down for long periods of time.

LiUNA Local 860 Field Representative Colin Sikon joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss struggles at the detention center, and how Local 860 continues to advocate for higher worker pay despite being locked out of contract negotiations by the court.

Local 860 continues to fight for workers despite being locked out

Local 860 has represented workers at the detention center since 2012. When the contract expired in 2016, they entered negotiations and had to demand talks seven times before the court agreed to meet, Sikon said.

During negotiations, the Union proposed an 18 percent pay increase over three years, which the court said was too much, despite detention center workers being the lowest paid in the state. The court proposed no raise and later a 2 percent raise. In December, the court told Local 860 it no longer represents the workers.

Despite being locked out of officially representing the workers, Local 860 never rests, Sikon added. They continue to fight Cuyahoga County to win back their right to represent the workers. Currently, the Local is collecting petition signatures and letters of support from elected officials on its website, Justice for Justice Center Workers.

AMERICA’S WORK FORCE IS THE ONLY DAILY LABOR-RADIO PROGRAM IN THE US AND HAS BEEN ON THE AIR SINCE 1993, SUPPLYING LISTENERS WITH USEFUL, RELEVANT INPUT INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES THROUGH FACT-FINDING FEATURES, IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS, INFORMATIVE NEWS SEGMENTS AND PRACTICAL CONSUMER REPORTS. AMERICA’S WORK FORCE IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING AN ACCESSIBLE VENUE IN WHICH AMERICA’S WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES CAN HEAR DISCUSSION ON IMPORTANT, RELEVANT TOPICS SUCH AS EMPLOYMENT, HEALTHCARE, LEGISLATIVE ACTION, LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS, CORPORATE PRACTICES, FINANCES, LOCAL AND NATIONAL POLITICS, CONSUMER REPORTS AND LABOR ISSUES.

AMERICA’S WORK FORCE RADIO IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN PART BY OUR SPONSORS AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS, BMA MEDIA GROUP, COLUMBUS-CENTRAL OHIO BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL, COMMUNICATION WORKERS OF AMERICA, HEAT AND FROST INSULATORS AND ALLIED WORKERS, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS, INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES DISTRICT COUNCIL 6, KELLEY & FERRARO, LLP,  LABOR CITIZEN MAGAZINE, LABORERS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA, NORTH COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION, MARITIME TRADES DEPARTMENT, OHIO FEDERATION OF TEACHERS-AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, UNITED AUTO WORKERS, UNITED LABOR AGENCY, UNITED STEELWORKERS.