A Disconcerting Look Behind the Industrial Commission's Curtain
In its Sunday, February 4, 2008, edition, the Columbus Dispatch reported that the Industrial Commission, "a forgotten corner of the state bureaucracy that deals with injured workers' claims," was experiencing an unusually large number of grievances filed by its OCSEA-represented employees. According to the article, the grievances cover a wide range of issues including personal ones, such as the denial of bereavement leave, to issues that more fundamentally address the Commission's claims handling process. As for the latter category, the article quotes a grievance from a union steward that suggests that the Commission has established "arbitrary quota[s]" that "sacrifice the quality of [Commission employees’] work product." The Commission's Executive Director, Patrick Gannon, is quoted in the article as stating that "labor-management issues everywhere do have an effect on productivity." The article, which does not suggest that hearing officer decisions have been impacted, notes that the OCSEA will meet with Mr. Gannon and Commission Chairman, Gary DiCeglio, on February 13th. We will keep our eyes and ears open for any additional information that may become public.
