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| Sue Wandalowski (L) and Mary Lou Kaboly (R) discuss tuition assistance |
This program will be offered in conjunction with Northampton Community College. The program will be available to Gracedale employees in good standing who have been employed at the nursing home for at least a year. The County will pay the tuition and buy the books needed, but the student must maintain a B average. The employee must also agree to remain with the County for two years after getting her degree.
The County will get a break on the tuition. The LPN course will cost $6,000, while the RN program is $12,000. The County expects to pay $60,000 for five RN and 10 LPN slots. That is only slightly more than the average RN salary of $55,448.00.
The program is only available to Gracedale employees, but Human Resources Director Elizabeth Kelly said after the meeting that tuition reimbursement programs are available to other county employees.
In addition to this tuition assistance program, Human Resourced Director Kelly discussed a "Memorandum of Understanding" between AFSCME and the County concerning a $0.15 increase in shift differential for nurse's aides and LPNs at Gracedale. This means that nursing staff working the middle and graveyard shifts will see an extra dollar per hour.
Typically, Council is never informed of these administrative matters, so this transparency is refreshing.
John Cusick was critical of the $0.15 increase, but only because the contract with AFSCME is ending on December 31. He suggested that the increase could have been part of the new contract. But Kelly countered, "The problem is acute now." She said that the second shift (3-11pm) is the worst.
In addition to the tuition assistance and differential increase, Council also agreed with DA John Morganelli's request to reclassify three clerical positions to pay about $4,000 more for all three combined."[T]here is difficulty filling and retaining these positions," said Morganelli.
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* (Bob Werner, John Cusick, Lori Vargo Heffner and Ron Heckman were there. Chairman Bill McGee arrived just as the meeting was ending, apologized and said he had been held up by traffic. Ken Kraft was in Washington, D.C., on business. Tara Zrinski and Matt Dietz were absent. Dietz, a pilot, called in after the meeting was over. Zrinski arrived at 5:20pm, just as the Finance Committee was ending Peg Ferraro, who has no job and no excuse, was simply MIA).
So who exactly is supposed to be on that committee?
ReplyDeleteBeverly member of council is expected and encouraged to attend committees, regardless of membership. Those who whine about this are those who are not doing their job.
ReplyDeleteIt seems unfair to go after people who are not on the committee. People have lives and jobs. If they are on the committee they should attend barring an emergency. As to other remembers, who encourages them to attend, you? Are they required?
ReplyDeleteThey should attend county council meetings and their committees. They can attend other committees and should if they can. Not sure why you are so upset about that.
Heard the real problem in the DAs office is the lack of supervision that is the issue not the salary. Maybe that should be dealt with instead of making taxpayers pay.
ReplyDeleteSure, pocketbook Peg wasn't giving large doses of taxpayers money out. MIA, her new middle name. She should resign now and get it over.
ReplyDeleteGood luck trying to enforce the 2 year commitment post graduation.
ReplyDeletePeg needs to resign
ReplyDelete"Good luck trying to enforce the 2 year commitment post graduation."
ReplyDeleteEach student will be signing an agreement to repay, which means there will be a binding and enforceable contract. It can be enforced. Your statement presumes that the employee is there to take advantage. Many of these Gracedale workers really do care about the residents. Some of those who took advantage of the tuition assistance plan from the '80s are still with the county. So I think you are mistaken and that you underestimate the quality of these people.
"Heard the real problem in the DAs office is the lack of supervision that is the issue not the salary. Maybe that should be dealt with instead of making taxpayers pay."
ReplyDeleteThe truth is that John's office is one of the most efficient, if not the most efficient, in the county.
"t seems unfair to go after people who are not on the committee. People have lives and jobs. If they are on the committee they should attend barring an emergency. As to other remembers, who encourages them to attend, you? Are they required?
ReplyDeleteThey should attend county council meetings and their committees. They can attend other committees and should if they can. Not sure why you are so upset about that."
I am not upset. Council members who skip out on committee hearings, where the lion's share of the work is being done, are upset that I point out their absences. Too bad. Regardless whether Council members are specific members of a committee, they are encouraged to attend. They really need to be at the personnel and finance committees instead of sauntering in at the end.
At a Council debate, candidates Heckman, Ferraro, Heffner, McGee and Zrinski each said that Council attendance is very important, both for full council and committee meetings. Ferraro has definitely fallen short.
So if the Chairman came at the end of the meeting, who ran the meeting?
ReplyDeleteRon Heckman ran the show. Bill McGee was held up by traffic, which can and does happen. I am not being critical of him or of Ken Kraft, who was out of town on union business. Matt Dietz was likely flying and Zrinski apparently was held up by her job. But these are the two most important committees, and an effort should be made to be there.
ReplyDelete"...after getting her degree." You sexist! There ARE male nurses...
ReplyDelete" the student must maintain a B average. The employee must also agree to remain with the County for two years after getting her degree."
ReplyDeleteThe word "student" could be male or female. I chose "her" instead of "his" because there is no gender neutral pronoun. You are really grasping at straws.
That is MY money paying for it- total BS. Sell the place and rid the taxpayer of this leech. The folks families stole and took to get them in there and no its NOT my problem- make it a for profit nursing home like everyone else has-
ReplyDeleteYou sound as though you want everyone to be as miserable as you are.
ReplyDelete