NorCo Courthouse Insider: "Morale Is At an All-Time Low"

The "Fat Cat" visits NorCo courthouse

I have been a regular Northampton County Courthouse visitor since the days of Gene Hartzell, our second County Executive. During that time, I've seen workers get mad at the boss many times, rightly and wrongly. But I've never seen things as bad as they are now. In the words of one long-time employee, "morale is at an all time-low." Ironically, it's because of policies put in place by an Executive who claims the workforce is the County's most valuable asset.

Brown Has Gagged Workers

A few months ago, when questions concerning benefits first came up, I knew there was one employee who would be able to explain everything to me. She'd take the time to lay it out so that I'd be as accurate as possible. But she couldn't talk to me, she told me, or any other member of the press. She and just about anyone who actually knows anything, have been been gagged.

Workers have even been instructed not to talk to Northampton County Council members, who are the people's representatives. All inquiries must go through Director of Administration Luis Campos.

Today, I was trying to track something down, and contacted HR. No return call. I went up there. After waiting for about 15 minutes, I was told I had to go to Luis Campos. So I went across the hall to see him, and of course, he had just left. I left a message with my cell phone number, but he never called back.

To be fair, I did hear from Public relations consultant Kim Plyler, but I went through about four different people for information that could easily have been provided in a simple phone call.

This secrecy makes a person like me, who is already suspicious by nature, think there are things to hide.

In Addition to Paying More, Employees are Getting Less Coverage

If you're an old fart like me, you probably have a pair of orthotics. If you're a former marathon runner like me, who's managed to break a foot and an ankle before gaining seven hundred pounds, you're definitely wearing orthotics. They're not cheap. A good pair will set you back about $600. But this common device is no longer covered.

Nor are most medical devices.

Get this. If you have diabetes and work for the County, your plan will pay for your insulin. But you can pay for your own insulin pump, one employee has just learned. Average list price? $6,500.

If you need to wear a leg brace, as is the case for some county workers, you'll be paying for that, too.

Brown's Consultant Insults County Workforce

Over the past two weeks, employees are being corralled into rooms, where health plan changes are being summarily explained by yet another "consultant" hired by Brown, This one is called "The C 3 Group, Cost Control Consultants." While telling the worker how much they matter and hosting brown bag lunches with them, Brown hired a cost control consultant who states, "We guarantee to boost your bottom line." I have a Right-to-Know pending for contract details, but one sourcde tells me Brown hired this outfit in June for $58,000.

The rocket scientist at C3 who has pretty much single-handedly destroyed the morale of the workforce is a fellow named Colin Healey. Here's what four workers workers say.

Worker #1: The consultant who was contracted with county money told us "nobody subpoenaed you to work here".

It was incredibly rude and was his response to a concerned employee's question of our new coverage. Our new coverage does not cover orthotics at all unless related to diabetes and it does not cover medical devices. There was an employee in the meeting whose son, since birth, has needed orthotics; and another woman who uses an insulin pump that will no longer be covered. Our questions were legit and nobody in the room was being rude to him.

Worker #2. This guy was not introduced and was rude during the benefits meeting at human services last week as well.

Worker #3. "The man, who was not introduced, was very arrogant and basically told the people with concerns to shut up. ... The man defending that, and being arrogant to employees, and not answering questions, might have been paid by some of the money not there to help cover health care costs for the employees.

Worker #4.  I have been to a couple meetings with Brown on behalf of my union and it is the same guy who always sits up front with [Cathy] Allen. He was at the health care presentation at the prison this week but sat there in silence. ... It's a look of contempt, disinterest, and boredom, as if we are infringing on his "valuable time." I have no doubt this jerk has attended all of the health care presentations and if some people claim he was rude then I will take them for their word. Brown must give seminars on the art of condescending because all of his upper level people, including himself, have mastered it.

When Brown hires a cost control consultant to cut away at the workforce benefits, while simultaneously refusing to give them fair raises, he most certainly is balancing the budget on the backs of the County employee, along with an illegal $20 million line of credit.

Staff Reductions Taking A Toll

It is no longer possible to look at the computerized index in the Civil Division and learn what is happening in a given case. With the exception of judgments, which must be shown immediately, most indexing is weeks behind. That's because the office has been operating with a skeleton crew for over a year.Employees leave as soon as they can.

This staffing shortage is a bit more serious at the jail, where corrections officers are essential to public safety. Just last night, Tom Davis, the President of the Corrections Officers' union, had these observations:

I read with interest regarding the corrections portion of the budget. It states..." personnel costs reflect a consistent staffing pattern and include salaries and fringe benefits. Operating expenditures will support levels of service consistent with prior years. " This is laughable. Consistently understaffed? When I spoke at the meeting I mentioned we were short by roughly 30 officers, 16 of whom were "off the books." This means we are 16 short of a full complement of 206. The rest are out injured, long term sick leave, etc. Well now it's 17 with no end in sight. We are budgeted for 206 so assuming those positions go unfilled the balance of the money goes, I'm told, into the general fund. We are breaking down, especially the night shift, and it's just a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Mr. Brown is steadfast in his refusal to hire more staff.

Union Negotiations Going Poorly

Once again, I will quote what Corrections Officer union President Tom Davis has to say.

{w}e are almost certainly headed to arbitration based on "offers" other unions received, which reflect multi year wage freezes and of course, the health care issue. In other words, a huge pay cut for a dangerous and unappreciated line of work. I feel sorry for the young officers who work hard and receive wages that lag far behind other facilities. I cannot blame them for looking elsewhere. We are not looking to cripple the taxpayers. We just want to maintain a level of fairness but we don't know what is in store because they have not sat down with us yet.

Brown has managed to accomplish one thing. He's united the work force. But they're united against him.