Recently, correctional officers and people advocating for correctional officers have lamented what they perceive to be inequitable compensation at the Northampton County Jail. The reality is that these perceptions are simply not borne out by the facts. Let’s start by talking about salaries.
The Data Shows That The Retroactive Salary Adjustments Awarded in the Arbitration Process Chosen By The Union Are Competitive With Neighboring Counties.
In 2017 as of the expiration of the most recent labor contract, the average base salary for COs in Northampton County was $54,984. This excludes any overtime and bases average salary on where the County had the most Cos—at seven years of service.
The COs and the County sought to negotiate a new contract following the expiration of the most recent labor contract. As was their right, the COs sought binding arbitration in front of a neutral third party arbitrator. While that occurred, the Parties remained in status quo, and the COs did not receive annual increases, for 2018 and half of 2019.
Going into the arbitration and looking at surrounding counties, Northampton’s 2017 average salary was already higher than the average 2019 salary for Lehigh County, Carbon County and Monroe County and was only $400 less than Bucks County and $2,500 less than Berks County. This, again, is based not on starting salaries but an apples to apples comparison of average CO
salaries.
Here’s why the average salary of Northampton’s COs at seven years was comparable in 2017. The facts demonstrate that the County had historically invested in CO salaries. For the period of 2008 to 2017, COs received wage increases totaling 43% - which is 30% over CPI for that same period and averages 4.3% per year.
At arbitration the Union’s proposal sought to address a salary inequity which did not really exist. The Union proposed to increase wages 28% in year one only, plus $0.90 per year increases for each subsequent year, roughly 10% total for the remainder of the contract. Nearly a 40% increase over the term. The County could not afford this.
After hours of testimony and discussion, the neutral third party arbitrator provided retroactive wage increases of $0.75/hour in both 2018 and 2019, which based upon a 2080 hour work year, amounted to a total increase of $3,120 per officer. This is the same neutral third party arbitrator who decided the arbitration award resulting in the salaries contained in the 2013-2017 labor contract so he was hardly unfair to the COs either now or in the past.
So, now, using the adjusted 2019 numbers, Northampton County’s average salary is now well above every neighboring County – at the high end, $620/year above Berks County, at the low end, nearly $20,000/year above Carbon County. And, Lehigh County, the marker most often used by the Union, is now $4,100 below Northampton County.
The bottom line is this—data confirms that salaries are comparable and fair. If the data showed otherwise, the neutral third party arbitrator selected in part by the Union would have awarded different salaries.
Overtime Is the Result of a Schedule Which the Union Does Not Want To Change
Let’s now turn to overtime which is another subject that we’ve heard about. The Union claims that overtime is rampant leading to overworked employees.
Here’s why this happens. Data shows that the average CO at the prison works 1611 hours out of a 2080 hour work year. This means that the average CO is not available for 25% of the year, causing holes in the schedule.
In addition, the contract provides that COs — who are expected to work shift work in a 24/7, 365 day a year facility — are entitled to have every other weekend off. In order to meet that mandate, the County must use overtime to cover shifts where COs are required to be off.
In 2018, the total cost of overtime was $1.73 million; nearly $1 million of that cost is directly attributable to the fact the every other weekend off language.
At arbitration, the County sought to eliminate this language from the contract in order to make the schedule more equitable. The County was open to any solutions which the parties could make work. The Union strenuously objected to the removal of this language and, as a result, the schedule remained unaddressed.
The question is why? Who benefits from a schedule that costs more money and makes union members unhappy and unsatisfied? It’s not the County which made proposals to change the schedule and make it more fair. The bottom line is this: if the COs do not like the amount of overtime but also don’t work a 2080 hour/40 hour a week year, then they have to either work the overtime or choose to be partners in reforming the schedule to make it equitable.
The County Is Doing Everything It Can to Recruit and Retain COs
The primary claim that some make is that COs are leaving and, therefore, the Jail cannot be staffed. This is just an excuse and it is not backed up by the facts.
The County employs roughly 198 COs. Typically, the Prison sees about 25% annual turnover.
Of that turnover rate, about 40% is due to employee retirements, death or terminations (in other words, employees who are not doing their job to keep inmates and each other safe). If an employee either passes away or retires, then the best that the County can do is try to replace that officer as quickly as possible. That is why the current Administration has run training academies to attract, train and replace COs multiple times during the last two years.
For those COs who are terminated for poor performance, the County has no choice but to maintain the standard of professionalism which the rest of the COs observe. It is neither fair nor right to keep a CO at his position simply to provide overtime relief if he or she is not safe.
What is significant is that the data shows that less than 2% of turnover is attributable to an employee leaving to be a CO in another county, the reason for which is obvious when looking at Northampton’s wages as compared to surrounding Counties. That means that there is not a better paying job or better schedule for which Northampton COs are leaving. This would seem to validate that the County is paying a competitive wage and providing more than competitive benefits.
Here’s what people don’t tell you. 25% of the departures were due to the employee moving to a different line of work – including law enforcement. That CO positions are often a stepping stone to law enforcement is a well-known fact – not just in Northampton County, but statewide.
The fact of the matter is that the County’s turnover rate at the jail is not unusual for the size of the unit and the type of work performed.
The Future of the Jail
Work in corrections is a calling. It is a difficult job dealing with individuals in crisis. The County’s professional correctional officers work hard to provide a safe and secure facility. But like all workplaces, there is a need for constant vigilance and, where possible improvement. That takes both sides to come together.
We have just come through thoroughly litigated process where professionals used data to make the best determination possible regarding the compensation package for the correctional officers. Where parties don’t reach a deal on their own, there can be some hard feelings as a deal is made for you rather than you having the opportunity to make your own compromise.
The facts demonstrate that the arbitration panel placed the COs in a competitive position with regard to salaries and total compensation. The facts demonstrate that there is no basis to suggest that more money would result directly in more COs coming to or staying at the Jail. Retention just cannot be reduced to a simplistic formula.
But things could be better. The facts demonstrate that the schedule that the COs work needs to be reformed to be fairer to all the COs and not just the most senior COs. If that adds to the quality of life for the COs and is fair to both the County and its taxpayers, the County is willing to look at any proposal which can safely staff the Jail at an equal or reduced cost to the taxpayers. The question is this: are people more invested in complaining about a problem that data demonstrates does not exist or are they motivated to work cooperatively to improve their conditions of work?
32 comments:
Who do you think wrote that letter for the County?
When you think about it, prison guards are in jail just like the prisoners while they are working. All the sounds, bells, clanging doors, maniacal screams ,threats of violence, who would want to work for any amount of money. Then the mandatory OT, it's like you had your sentence extended for bad behavior.
The mandatory every other weekend off thing I don't understand. Imagine a company running like that, where they have to have people working overtime to cover people who have time off every two weeks. It would go bankrupt. Personally I could never do this job, but the union insists on every other weekend off - the CO's should complain to the union. Oh, but then we wouldn't have people pulling in OT pay, and every other weekend off... mm-hum.
You can tell McClure is a lawyer. Every time there is a problem his response is a long winded statement or speech.
'The problem is blah,blah,blah,blah....The administration is blah,blahh,blah,...
Wow!
Too bad this correctional facility has a lot of good people that work there. It’s been manipulated,but it ultimately the management s fault no matter what the issue. Leadership is an art form . A new sheriffs deputy and or newly recruited police officers should rotate through as part of their training. Just applying cuffs properly,gageing them and locking properly under way less stress than on the street. Just sizing up the knuckleheads is good for a newbie . Those guys can teach them stuff they would otherwise take 4 years to learn,I mean both the inmates and the staff.The staff know things don’t worry.
What's funny is you need 122 cos per day mon. - fri. And 115 per day sat. And sun. At a 5 day work week if we work every weekend you will still need overtime on 2 more days( not like we dont need overover every day) that tells me you need more correction officers. What is the difference what day you have off Also public should know we can't take weekends off without finding coverage.
Clumsily written, but an otherwise solid response. It's curious that the county response in one paragraph calls the job a stepping stone; then, refers to it as a calling a few paragraphs later. It's obviously the former. Agree with a previous poster, also. If I had to pay people OT to cover that every other weekend off scenario, I'd be out of business. That model doesn't work in the real world, and whomever agreed to it shouldn't be allowed near a negotiation again.
politicians screw up everything they touch. and that is a fact..
Its always nice to see when an uniformed disbarred shitball who hasn't held a job in 30 years gets creamed by the truth. Thank you Lamont for doing what more people should.
No matter who does what in the jail, the staff will always find something to complain about - its human nature. If they each got a 15k raise, it would be something wrong with their uniforms, if not the money or the uniforms it would be something else - never ending. No one is holding you under their thumb. if you're unhappy, go find somewhere else to be employed. The grass isn't always greener. If you don't leave then I guess its just not that terrible to work at the jail, now is it?
As I attend events across the County where Mr. McClueless speaks it is increasingly apparent that we have our own mini Trump. He always starts his remarks with “Since my election as County Executive …” or “I have made it my priority …”. When the news or event is positive he seeks all the acolytes, but when it’s bad news or event, the finger is pointed at someone else. Someone needs to remind our ego maniac that “there is no I in TEAM.”
wow! administration always finds away to cover up there wrongs but we know better
administration sit's upstairs in there clean new furnished offices while correction are in this mold infested roach hot dirty discussting stinky place so for those of!!! you that say find another job be quiet some of us are to close to retirement we cant we have families to take care of.
Who is administration? We never see them .
hey bernie,if you want a real story ask corrections,or better yet come to the jail and see for self.
"Who do you think wrote that letter for the County?"
Just as you are anonymous, the individual identity of the author of that missive is irrelevant. It was provided to me as the county's position, so I believe that is what it is. I noticed some of the same arguments used in arbitration, so I believe it is the work and research of several people.
I think this Easton tax is just dumb I dont live in Easton and I have to pay 40 every two weeks.
"some of us are too close to retirement we can't we have families to take care of"... so then quit your complaining! You've obviously worked for Norco then for almost 20 or more years and will leave soon to collect your pension so it couldn't have been that terrible all these years - plus raking in all that OT sure helps pad your pension payments, correct? Keep your head down, finish your time and then be done with it. The rest of the people who work have families too but if they are that miserable and work is in such a deplorable state, I'm sure most would keep their comments to themselves and finish their time or move on with life. I'd love to know what you teach your children about employment - complain until you get your way? not how it works..
you can say whatever you want but dont you dare say anything about how I teach my children. you coward
Some facts:
Years ago, there wasn’t staffing issues and mandatory overtime like there is now. I’m talking well before the Towers were built-pre 2004ish
Years ago ALL training was done on Wednesday’s and if there wasn’t enough to cover a shift, then there was no training! That would help reduce overtime and mandated overtime.
The current schedule was negotiated well before the 1990’s and has worked fine since.
Most new hires are young and have no work ethic. They need to show up. In fairness, eliminate or modify the PT test so older applicants can compete fairly and get hired. Thats how the military does their PT requirements. That’s who has a decent work ethic, too!
The jail is too top heavy- 1 Director, 1 Warden, 3 Deputy Wardens, 3 Captains, at least 13 Lieutenants, and 3 others in administrative rolls.
Hope this helps some people.
In 2017 as of the expiration of the most recent labor contract, the average base salary for COs in Northampton County was $54,984. This excludes any overtime and bases average salary on where the County had the most Cos—at seven years of service......LIES!!!!! So were is the 10,000 dollars that I worked for .... didn’t call out sick, worked all my scheduled days and have over7 years of service .... that’s right I had to get mandated to make that .... don’t believe everything the government puts out and says its the truth.
This was a manufactured puff piece by the McClure team. Employee's getting the short end of the stick and this is his legalese way of trying to justify it. He has cut a deal with the big union bosses and the little guys are getting hurt.
I think 8:17 hit the nail on the head
let the truth be told.
I teach all of my children to be honest,fair,and never treat people poorly and to keep their integrity you should try it
Got to love the officers blame game. Mandating and overtime has been an ongoing issue for decades if not longer. I am recently retired from their and I too use to get pissed off with the mandates. Yet, I never blamed the administration. Why is always the administration's fault?? Its a combination of scheduling and officer call offs. Its has simple as that.
I dont know how long you have been retired but they built 2 more buildings and never hired more staff to work it. That's a big part of the problem
Ihave been retired for approx. 2 years and mandates have always been a problem.One of the reasons is when you look at the mandate list at the start of the shift and it says that you only need 5 people and by 9:30 you need 14 or 15 please tell me who is screwing who?
We do have a 130 O.T.s per week before anyone calls off sick. I guess that's the COs fault if you did work with us look at all facts. and with that attitude I'm glad your gone
He did it again today in Bethlehem.
5;09 yes I did work there and we also had overtimes that reached 150 to 160 overtimes per week,what I was stating was that this also compounds the problems you guys are having and yes I am glad I am gone because that place will give you a shitty attitude like you say I have, so when you say look at all the facts please look at all the facts because this is also one of the facts
but not one that you are probably interested in admitting.
Rest assured that the low wages at the jail aren't limited to the officers. A staff member working at the jail with the same title and pay grade as a staff member working at the courthouse will start at an average of $4000.00 less per year, despite their duties being much more extensive and complex. The county sees the jail as the red-headed stepchild.
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