Possible layoffs loom closer for Butler County, which still hasn't reached new agreements with 500 union employees.

Bill O'Donnell, chief county clerk, said in an interview Wednesday's negotiating session wasn't productive.

"We don't see any progress," he said.

Two divisions of the Service Employees International Union represent county workers at Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, government center and courthouse.

SEIU 668 covers about 300 county employees working in Butler while SEIU 1199 handles the remaining 200 Sunnyview workers.

Kevin Hefty, union vice president of long-term care, said in an interview the union is trying to reach a settlement.

"Negotiations still are complicated," he said.

Only SEIU 1199 attended this week's negotiation.

O'Donnell, who is a member of the county negotiating team, said union representatives are continually changing their stance.

"We're confused on what they want," he said.

Hefty said the same is true about the county, citing the commissioners not committing to keep Sunnyview while negotiating new contracts.

"What's the point in these discussions," he said about the commissioners not ruling out a sale under any circumstances.

Hefty said the union's goals are simple.

"We would like to resolve any issues and are trying to maintain decent jobs," he said.

While neither side would discuss details of contract talks, outstanding issues previously cited were the outsourcing of jobs such as laundry and scheduling.

County officials came to Wednesday's meeting ready to deal with both SEIU 1199 and 668, which represents about 300 workers in the government center and courthouse.

O'Donnell said some 668 bargaining units may be holding out until they see what happens with arbitration involving courthouse and sheriff's staff.

Employees with court-related jobs are not permitted to strike, but are entitled to arbitration.

The county's latest contract offers expire April 6. The previous contracts covering these 500 workers ended Nov. 30.

Although there were some indications Sunnyview workers may take a separate vote on their offer, the county isn't encouraged.

"We don't anticipate meeting before then (April 6)," O'Donnell said. "We're not confident there will be a vote before the offer expires."

Hefty said Sunnyview workers will meet April 2 to discuss the current status of contract talks.

He didn't know if there would be a separate vote taken.

Without the affected 500 union workers paying a portion of their health care costs, the county faces a $500,000 deficit this year.

The county wants union workers to join nonunion employees in having 1.5 percent of their salaries deducted from their paychecks to pay a portion of their health care costs.

O'Donnell said the county commissioners will be forced to make cuts after the April 6 deadline passes.

The commissioners previously stated jobs would be the most likely expense to be eliminated from the 2009 budget.

"It could happen," O'Donnell said about layoffs.

Hefty said it's unfair to attribute the county's financial woes on workers not contributing to their health benefits.

"The problem with the Butler County budget extends further and is far bigger ... than these contract talks," he said.

While contract talks are at a standstill, a newspaper ad paid for by the SEIU antagonized county officials.

The county maintains Sunnyview's operating loss must be overcome or the home must be sold.

The commissioners stated they are seeking proposals from companies to buy or operate Sunnyview just to see if there's market for a possible sale down the road.

The SEIU bought a full-page ad in the Butler Eagle March 18 claiming the nursing home brings in $20 million to the county every year and had a $2 million profit in 2006 and $3 million in 2007.

O'Donnell said those inflated numbers factor in grant money used to renovate Sunnyview. He stressed those funds, which totaled $6 million, couldn't be used to offset an operating deficit.

"Everything's wrong," he said about the ad. "You can't count grant money as revenue.

O'Donnell said the $20 million includes $3.2 million of the grant funding and the $1.1 million paid out of the county general fund.

He said operational revenue for 2007 was $16.2 million while expenses were $17.3 million, leaving the county to use general fund money to pick up the $1.1 million difference.

"You can't take county tax dollars as revenue," O'Donnell said.

He said $2 million of the grant funding was added to the ad's 2006 income number, obscuring the actual $500,000 operating loss.

County records also show a more than $1 million Sunnyview deficit for 2008.

O'Donnell said the union should present accurate numbers to the taxpayers.

"The board's position is that it's not right to mislead the public," he said.

Hefty disputed O'Donnell's statements, saying the union did nothing wrong by pulling the numbers directly from state-audited reports published by the Department of Public Welfare.

Hefty didn't know if the reports specified the amounts related to grant funding.

He admitted the ad was a response to Commissioner Dale Pinkerton's March 12 threat to sell the home.

"The timing was certainly related to his comment," Hefty said.