ELYRIA, Ohio — For a second day, Lorain County Job and Family Services workers walked a picket line, striking for better wages and benefits.
The strike comes after stalled contract negotiations between the UAW labor union and the Lorain County Board of Commissioners.
RELATED: Lorain County Job and Family Services employees go on strike
On Friday, the commissioners approved what they said was their “best and final” contract offer.
The UAW did not accept the proposed terms and went on strike when a strike deadline hit at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Neither side of the negotiation has shown signs of giving up ground.
“I’m not saying I should make more than the average guy, but I think I should at least make a living wage,” said Alexandria Wirscham.
The JFS child support accountant was walking her second day on the picket line Thursday.
She first spoke with News 5 on Monday as the union was preparing for the strike and said some of her coworkers were making low enough wages to qualify for the services JFS administers.
Thursday, she said pay was still a major sticking point in contract negotiations.
“We deserve what we’re asking for. It’s not a lot. It’s not. Dollars and cents. They send it out in percentages, like it’s this massive amount of money. It’s a dollar. It’s a dollar,” Wirscham said.
News 5 obtained a copy of the previous JFS contract that expired in September 2025. It lists the base wages for union employees ranging from $13.01 - $25.91 per hour.
Initially, the UAW was seeking a 26% raise over three years. On Friday, a final offer from commissioners proposed a 12% increase over the same timeframe.
In part, the county said it was not in a financial situation to offer a higher raise.
“We don’t have the type of funds that some counties have to utilize to pay their staff like that,” Lorain County JFS executive director Chris Cabot told News 5 on Wednesday after the strike began.
On Thursday, the county commissioners declined an on-camera interview for the third time this week and deferred back to Cabot’s earlier comments.
The negotiations come as the county faces financial challenges, recently trimming $11 million from its annual budget.
It was a point emphasized when the state brought in a neutral fact-finder to help with stalled negotiations.
The fact-finding report offered recommendations to compromise on sticking points, including a 13% raise for employees over the 3-year contract period.
The county rejected the report and union workers headed to the picket line.
Thursday, JFS posted a job listing for a social service worker position in adult protective services. Wirscham said it appeared to be a job already occupied by a union worker and she said the advertised wage was higher than what the current worker was making.
“It breaks my heart,” Wirscham said.
By phone, Commissioner Dave Moore said the county did not plan to return to the bargaining table and had “moved on.” He said the county was looking at its options to effectively operate JFS services for the duration of the strike and in the future.
The UAW said Lorain County JFS workers last went to the picket line about a decade ago, in a strike that lasted weeks.
Both sides said they hope that is not the case this time, but both said they’re continuing to hold their ground.
