Oct 25, 2002 By Amy Karpinsky 4 min read

The Fayette County Commissioners voted 2-1 Thursday to terminate the contract with its personnel consultant. Enacting a section in the contract with Felice Associates that provides a 60-day termination clause, commissioners Sean M. Cavanagh and Ronald M. Nehls voted to give the Greensburg-based company its 60-day notice.

Chairman Vincent A. Vicites voted against the motion, noting it couldn’t have come at a worse time as the county is in the middle of negotiations with its largest union.

“We’re at a critical juncture. We have to get the contract done. We’re in the midst of negotiations,” Vicites said.

Cavanagh said it is a business decision. “If a consultant is not doing a good job, you get rid of it,” he said. Cavanagh said since he first took office in 1996, he has negotiated two contracts with SEIU (Service Employees International Union) Local 585. He said there is no cause for concern because he will do everything in his power to avert a strike. The union’s current contract expires on Dec. 31. The union is being absorbed by SEIU Local 668, PSSU.

Cavanagh said he is prepared to make sure the county has one of the best firms in the state of Pennsylvania to help negotiate a contract. He told a group of SEIU members that he would be willing to sit down at the table and negotiate any time, and pledged to speak with them at the conclusion of Thursday’s meeting.

Vicites said he was concerned about having a strike. He said a lot of preparations go into negotiations and now the process has been interrupted. Nehls said getting rid of Felice was a business decision that two out of the three commissioners were in favor of. He said if the commissioners do their job and go through the negotiating process, the union won’t see a slippage.

Although Vicites said the “absolute deadline is the end of the year,” Nehls pointed out that when he first took office a contract with SEIU wasn’t reached until after the last contract expired.

“Felice Associates is not a sacred cow and the majority of the board rules,” Cavanagh said. After consulting with the union members, he pointed out that the last strike in the county was in 1972. Vicites said he wanted to commit to a continuance of negotiations and will sit at the table and pick up slack.

In a related motion, the commissioners unanimously voted to advertise a request for proposals for human resource services to replace Felice Associates.

During public comment, outspoken Cavanagh supporter Jerry Mazza questioned what work Felice performed for $80,000 a year. She said a monthly report should be sent out, addressing earlier statements by Nehls that he had problems obtaining information. She also asserted that a consultant isn’t needed to negotiate a union contract.

“Anybody can negotiate with a good labor lawyer,” Mazza said.

Mazza said that Felice never got a contract before the contract expired and “to repeat strike, strike, strike is insane.” She praised Cavanagh and Nehls for taking steps to terminate Felice.

Vicites said he can guarantee that the county will spend more than $80,000 a year for a human resource department. He said only 15 percent of the Felice’s salary came out of the general fund. He said he is prepared to step up.

SEIU vice president Robert Means said negotiations began with Felice in the beginning of October. He said getting rid of them now puts it back at square one. He said the membership was “devastated and outraged” to hear the news of Felice’s termination.

“We want what’s best for us. Nobody wants to go over the Dec. 31 deadline,” he said.

Union steward Bonny Bryner-Flowers said SEIU is 151 members strong. She presented the commissioners with petitions asking them to take personal charge of the negotiations. She said Felice walked out on negotiations Tuesday.

“If you’re making promises, when we set a day, you should be there,” she said.

Cavanagh said it was unprofessional for Felice to walk out and pointed out that they are contractually obligated for 60 more days.

Rose Cindrick said the union is requesting that all three commissioners sit at the table. “We need all three of you to get the contract moving,” she said.