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State budget cuts to impact ODJFS

Feb. 4, 2008 - OCSEA has been meeting with agency heads and the governor to request data and discuss the impact of Ohio's budget recalibration efforts on union members, including those who work for the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

ODJFS budget points based on Jan. 31, 2008 meeting between OCSEA leaders/staff and
ODJFS Director Helen Jones-Kelley.

Target proposed cuts for ODJFS
FY08: $17.1 million
FY09: $50.3 million

• The possible job loss target – through vacancies, attrition, consolidation of offices, reduction of duplication of services, and layoffs, if necessary – is 309 to 574 positions. ODJFS says it is trying to soften the blow for 2010 pand 2011 when the growth rate of GRF is expected to be a negative number. ODJFS goal is to focus on the core mission without impacting services to Ohioans.

• When it’s all said and done, ODJFS will most likely be looking at actual job loss. However, at this time, ODJFS is unsure what the impact could be and is still evaluating those numbers. The union is monitoring the issue very closely and has requested that ODJFS relay vacancy information, attrition rates and a Table of Organization to the union by early next week. ODJFS is expected to have their full proposal, including proposed cuts and actual job loss, to the Governor sometime next week.

• The union is extremely concerned with the high management to bargaining unit ratios and resulting inefficiencies and is asking that ODJFS seriously consider these when looking at where to cut. The union plans to monitor this very carefully to make certain that essential bargaining unit positions are not eliminated that could negatively impact services to Ohioans.

• ODJFS says they will participate in an Early Retirement Incentive only if they are mandated to do so by the Governor, and, then, they would probably only do so for one year as it would bring no immediate cost savings. If there is a mandatory ERI, this means that the agency will be required to offer an ERI. This DOES NOT mean that employees who are eligible will be required to participate unless they so choose. There are over 800 ODJFS employees who likely eligible for an ERI.

Saturday's Columbus Dispatch reported:

The former, which oversees unemployment compensation and health care, child care and other programs for the needy, was ordered to trim about $67.5 million from its budget over the next 17 months. The agency will eliminate as many as 574 positions -- 12 percent of its work force.

Slashing staff and spending as demand for help is increasing because of the souring economy will be a challenge, said agency Director Helen Jones-Kelley. "We're the department that everyone turns to. We don't want to turn our staff into clients," she said.

Jones-Kelley said the agency is committed to maintaining health-care coverage for low-income Ohioans and other "core" services, but programs that "go beyond" what is mandated could be cut or eliminated.

The following budget proposal was submitted to Gov. Strickland, per his request:

See Related

ODJFS BUDGET CUTS

BUDGET RESOURCES

Website of the OCSEA / ODJFS Assembly

Resources

OCSEA / ODJFS Assembly Officers

Website - Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

Archives

You made the difference: OCSEA members’ letters, phone calls help stop USDOL privatization attempt (Feb. 26, 2007)

ODJFS Newsletter - January 2007 (PDF)

ODJFS Newsletter - October 2006 (PDF)

ODJFS Newsletter - June 2006