Several employees of Lehigh County’s Department of Human Services Department attended the county commissioners March 27 meeting voicing concern about lack of progress on a contract.

Security was increased around the room with additional deputies inside and outside.

The assembly, however, remained peaceful and respectful.

Their union contract expired Dec. 31, 2018, according to one of the representatives speaking to commissioners during the public comment portion of the regular meeting.

The employees have been working without a contract for almost three months.

Neither Service Employees International Union 668 Shop Steward Frank Gerlach nor Commissioner Marty Nothstein would say exactly what the problems are that are delaying negotiations.

Nothstein, citing legal prohibitions against discussing the issue, would only say, “The ball is in their court.”

According to Gerlach, the negotiating team for the county includes Nothstein and Commissioners Amanda Holt and Dr. Percy Dougherty, all Republicans.

“They are negotiating based on politics and ideology,” Gerlach said in an interview. “[We are] advocating for the highest quality services for the people we serve.”

According to Gerlach, before the just lapsed contract, they worked for three years without a contract.

During that time, authority to negotiate contracts was wrested away from the county executive and assumed by county commissioners.

According to Gerlach, the ostensible reason for the change to negotiating authority was to “increase transparency.”

The signs workers’ carried signaled low morale: “Weak leadership drives poor services and hurts citizens,” read one sign.

Another stated: “We won’t go three years without a contract ever again,” said another.

And, a third stated, “Run government efficiently, not by politics and ideology.”

“We hope you will look at it as a human issue,” Michelle Lee, a case worker, said.

In other business, commissioners approved Eric Minnich as the new county coroner replacing retired Scott Grim.

Commissioners reappointed Ron W. Beitler and appointed David M. Smith to the Sterling Raber Agricultural Land Preservation Board of Lehigh County.

They appointed Amy C. Beck to the Lehigh and Northampton Airport Authority.

Commissioners tabled an amendment to the Administrative Code that would have established a Lehigh Valley Homeless Veterans Fund.

According to Commissioner Marc Grammes, sponsor of the bill, the action was at the request of Lehigh County Department of Veterans Affairs Director Thomas Applebach, who had advocated for the bill two weeks ago at a previous meeting.