Commissioners defend last, best offers as JFS strike enters 11th week; residents protest service impacts

At the May 8 meeting commissioners addressed the ongoing Job & Family Services (JFS) labor dispute, which public commenters said had entered its 11th week. Commissioner Jeff Riddell delivered a lengthy statement defending the board's negotiating record, described the timeline of talks and fact-finding, and presented a classification-by-classification table of prior and new average pay rates and pension impacts.

Riddell told the meeting, “We did not negotiate for a strike. It doesn't get the work done and as we see, no one wins.” He said bargaining covered eight months, described scale adjustments intended to raise entry-level minimums for classifications and noted a 4.5% general increase plus a 1% attendance bonus in the package. Riddell also said the union set a strike deadline before receiving the board's final offer and that retroactive pay would not be granted indiscriminately.

During a prolonged public-comment period, multiple speakers accused the county of harming vulnerable residents by allowing the strike to continue. Candance MacIntosh, who identified herself with on-site picketing, said the board's stance amounted to abandonment: “This is not government, this is abandonment.” Megan Ashley, who identified herself as a UAW member, urged commissioners to accept a $1 increase and return to bargaining, saying many JFS staff are college educated and asked the board to “get back to the table and do your job correctly.” Other commenters described delays in Medicaid paperwork and difficulties for vulnerable residents. The record shows no vote or change to bargaining posture at the meeting; commissioners repeatedly urged return to negotiations and reiterated the terms they said were offered.