Still no deal.

The two sides in the contract dispute involving Head Start workers at the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization met

Monday in a last-ditch effort to resolve a contract dispute.

At that meeting, the CAO issued a final offer to the members of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 170, which represents more than 100 Head Start workers, including bus drivers, day care workers and custodial workers.

OAPSE issued a strike notice earlier this month after the old contract expired Dec. 31.

Union members

Tuesday voted 42-18 against the agency's offer. Now, OAPSE Field Representative Karen Kuehne said the next stop is likely the picket line on Monday morning.

"They're still not addressing the issue of fairness to union workers," Kuehne said. "They're still not addressing the security of benefits or guarantee of hours."

CAO Director of Human Resources James Ingram said CAO management is disappointed with the lack of a contract and talk of a strike and said the people who would be hurt the worst by a strike would be Head Start clients.

"The parties have reached an agreement on all but two issues. The only remaining issues center around OAPSE's insistence that we guarantee employment status for the duration of the contract, provide medical benefits to a select group of part-time workers and allow employees the option to take sick leave without providing documentation," Ingram said.

"These are economic issues that affect the cost of the operations."