The contract for 32 clerical and maintenance employees, belonging to Teamsters Local 585, expired at midnight, October 1st, and without a new contract, the workers walked off their jobs and onto the picket line. Harold Close, Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 585, the Housing Authority of Washington County chose to put those employees on strike. Close says negotiations have been ongoing and the only sticking point is over wages. He said that $36,567.20 separates the union and Authority from settling the contract negotiations. He says for simplicity’s sake, $1000 a month is all it would cost to keep the employees on the job for the next three years. The union has rejected unanimously the authority’s last best offer, saying that without an agreement, they were going to strike. Close is adamant in saying that workers are not choosing to walk out, it is the authority who will be putting the workers on strike because their salary demands were not met. . The Washington County Housing Authority, in an emailed statement, said that they are working to ensure services are continuing to be provided to residents and they have several contingencies in place should issues arise during the walkout. The authority says it has offered the union a contract that surpasses the previous several contracts in terms of wages. In addition, they say they have met with state mediators and will meet again to try and resolve the agreement. In the meantime, they say they look forward to continuing to bargain in good faith, despite the strike. The authority has assets in the range of $20 million and manages approximately 1100 apartments in Washington, Canonsburg, California and Fredericktown