Piqua city workers picket over contract

PIQUA, Ohio (WDTN) - Employees for the City of Piqua were picketing City Hall Tuesday evening.

Members of AFSCME Ohio Council 8, Local 984 are upset over the city's response to a fact finder's recommendations on terms of a new contract.

Protestors chanted and held up signs that said things like "Stop Management Waste."

At last month's city commission meeting, city leaders unanimously voted to reject a recommendation by the State Employment relations board to increase union wages by a little over 3 percent by giving workers a lump sum of about $1200.

The recommendation came after union workers and city leaders failed to come to an agreement on the third year of their contract.

The union president says since that decision, city leaders have made no attempt to contact the union.

No one from the city commission would comment.

Mayor Lucy Fess wasn't at the meeting but she spoke at last month's meeting, the minutes quote her as saying, "this in no way reflects on the work the City employees do as they do a wonderful job. Unfortunately it is due to the economic times we are living in now."

The union president says the members will meet in the next couple weeks and decide where to go from here.  He wouldn't comment on whether a walkout is possible.