Franklin County public defenders unionizing: 'status quo is not sustainable'

Staff attorneys in the Franklin County Public Defender’s office announced Thursday they are forming a union to address stagnant wages and high caseloads.The attorneys are asking Franklin County Public Defender Director Yeura Venters to voluntarily recognize their union, the Franklin County Public Defenders Collective. The union would be organized under the auspics of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Ohio Council 8.

Public defenders are lawyers employed by the county who represent defendants in Franklin County courts who are determined to be unable to pay for an attorney. 

Two of the leaders of the organizing effort, Kyle Stoller and Francisco Luttecke, estimated there are between 90 and 100 staff attorneys in the county Public Defender's office. They said the overwhelming majority are in support of unionizing, but could not provide a number at this time.

Venters told The Dispatch Thursday he has no comment at this time.

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In their public letter to Venters, the unionizing attorneys said there has been unprecedented turnover in recent years. One of the reasons is their pay has not kept pace with pay increases at the Columbus City Attorney’s Office or the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. 

“Our caseloads consistently increase, and the status quo is not sustainable,” the letter states. “We are unionizing to solve that problem. We are unionizing to encourage our community to invest in us so that we can serve our clients and our community the way (we) always have!”

Stoller and Luttecke emphasized this is not a dire situation in the office and that clients are getting high-quality representation.

"We have dedicated our lives to our clients, to the cause, and to this office," the letter states. "It is our responsibility to ensure that the legacy of outstanding legal advocacy we have inherited from the Franklin County Public Defenders Office does not end on our watch."

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jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites