ODJFS to move forward with office consolidation

May 7, 2009 - The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services announced to legislators this week that it plans to move forward with the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) recommendations to consolidate offices within the agency’s Office of Local Operations.

Final approval to merge seven facilities (including one intra-office move) came down from the governor’s office in early May.

The decision was made after review of a report submitted in early 2009 by the JBC, a labor and management cost-savings committee, that recommended consolidation as an alternative to layoffs.

Although details are still being finalized, staff at the following locations will be moved to other ODJFS work sites according to business needs in the coming months:

• Jackson Processing Center – Staff will move to the Chillicothe or Ironton Processing Centers.
  
  
• Zanesville Processing Center – Staff will move to the Columbus Call Center or Bridgeport Processing Center.
  
  
• Cincinnati Call Center – Staff from the sixth floor will join staff on the fifth floor.
  
  
• Painesville Processing Center – Staff will move to the Richmond Heights Processing Center or Cleveland District Office.
  
  
• Sherwood Processing Center – Staff will move to the Bowling Green or Lima Processing Centers.
  
  
• Lorain Call Center – Staff will move to the Akron Call Center or Richmond Heights Processing Center.
  
  
• Toledo District Office – Staff will move to the Toledo Call Center in Maumee

The Plains facility near Athens, mentioned in the report for possible consolidation, will not be included in the list of offices to move. While the closure could save money, the agency agreed with the JBC that the consolidation wasn’t practical given impact on staff, including the long drive to Columbus employees would have to make everyday.

Many factors, including budget projections, facility costs, the effect on localities and the impact on employees, were considered by the agency before making the final decision on which offices would merge.

The union remains committed to saving jobs and is currently working diligently with management to gauge if there will be an excess of clerical staff as result of the consolidation process. Management has assured the union that clerical staff impacted by changes to the Table of Organization as result of the consolidation will be eligible for one of 114 promotional opportunities available as the result of federal stimulus money

The JBC originally began meeting in March 2008 to focus on the critical economic challenges and budgetary pressures facing ODJFS. The focus of the JBC was to take a pro-active stance, looking ahead to realistically deal with difficult issues while maintaining staffing levels and continuing to service customers effectively.

“From day one of the our involvement on the JBC, it’s been about job security and making sure our members continue to offer the quality services they do,” said JBC union chair Ronna Harding. “I think we’re moving in the right direction and this plan will ultimately save jobs.”

Other JBC cost-saving proposals submitted to the ODJFS Director include a flattening of the Table of Organization as a way to decrease the management-to-bargaining unit ratio and a re-evaluation of ODJFS’s role in One-stops. The agency has begun looking at the TO and the Director has made a commitment to work closely with union leaders throughout the process.

More on the consolidation, including a meeting for stewards, will be made available in the coming weeks. Contact your staff representative or visit the union website for updates. 

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