YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!!

[Guest guest]

Friends, Family and Acquaintances;

The Service and Support Administrators of the Portage County Board of

MRDD are urging your support. We have been working without a labor

contract since August of 2005! We have been in negotiations since

September of 2006 and Federal mediation since May of 2007 and we are

rapidly approaching an impasse.

A law passed by the Ohio State Legislature created the position of

Service and Support Administrators. This position was a major part of

a plan of correction with the Federal Medicaid program to ensure that

Medicaid money continued coming to the state of Ohio. This money is

used, in part, to help our community members with disabilities work,

live, and socialize in our community.

The law states that our job acts as the `single point of contact and

accountability' for those people with mental retardation who are

being served by the Portage County Board of MRDD. We are responsible

for assessing the person's needs, developing a plan to meet those

needs and ensuring that the people who are being paid to provide the

services are doing what they are supposed to do.

In addition to all of this, we are also the accountants that

authorize the person's budget to purchase these services.

We are dedicated professionals who have spent our careers enabling

citizens with disabilities to live healthy and safe lives. We help

people be part of their communities. We help people realize their

potential. We work with the schools, children's agencies, jobs and

family services, the court system or any other system where

individuals' with mental retardation may need support. We feel that

what we do is important. We do not want to be forced into a situation

that would interrupt those services. We want a fair contract

settlement.

Please show your support by calling the Portage County Board members

and emailing the Portage County Commissioners and letting them know

you support our efforts for a fair contract.

Thank you so much for your support.

Colgrove,

PCEAMR Unit B, Vice President

PS…You can also show your support by passing this along and attending

the August 15, 2007 Board meeting at Happy Day School which is

located on Brady Lake Road in Ravenna.

PORTAGE COUNTY BOARD MEMBERS

Bialik (330) 678-5372

Cochran (330) 325-0670

Harry Friedman (330) 297-9628

McNeil (330) 673-7468

Amy Sittner (330) 274-8175

McCoy (330) 296-0671

Jeanne Schmidlin (330) 678-1853

PORTAGE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Maureen Frederick mfrederick@...

Chuck Keiper ckeiper@...

Smeiles cmeiles@...