Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure reported to County Council on May 7 that the County has been paying "hazard" pay some employees to compensate them for possible exposure to Covid-19. According to Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron, this money is coming directly from the county coffers. While the County will seek reimbursement, it's unclear at this juncture whether the federal government intends to provide any grants at all to state or local government. McClure nevertheless feels that this extra compensation is the right thing to do. It is going to corrections officers, Gracedale, juvenile justice workers and human services staff whose work puts in direct contact with Covid-19.
This hazard is a 20% on top of base pay. It's 25% for working in an area exposed to Covid-19. It's 30% for the isolation unit at Gracedale,
Under the emergency powers he has been given, McClure has the power to increase wages where he sees fit without getting Council approval. But he did report his action.
37 comments:
President Dumpster Fire and the GOP have been very clear - they don't believe that states should be helped to find things like local government, emergency service personnel, etc. Let them go bankrupt. So don't expect anything to come to NorCo except election propaganda. Trump was trashing Pennsylvania yesterday - there is obviously raw politics at work when you look at what is going on with state legislators even though we are mired in a pandemic. Disgusting. The new normal.
Ridiculous! A half million wasted. Just do your jobs. You are already overpaid with benefits other essential workers could only dream of. Then they call off sick and still steal the 20%. Only in the Banana Republic of Northampton.
What a whiner.
Who is looking our for the employees. Is that enough money? What about the people forced to work next week?
Why were most of the employees not placed on unemployment like the rest of the world? And if they were that productive from home maybe we should examine how many we actually need? Sometimes an emergency can show you what actually is needed. Good opportunity to get rid of dead wood everywhere public and private.
WE are all in this together--believe this and i have a bridge or two for you
You need to actually work to collect the hazard pay. If you call off sick you don't get it.
What a disgusting bunch of contributors you have on this BLOG. If you feel that strongly about the compensation these employees are receiving, please attend a council meeting and voice your opinion. Almost all these employees are living from paycheck to paycheck. Because you are stuck in a nothingless job that requires no skills or chance for advancement, you vent your frustrations and spew out your venom anonymously attacking employees who are caring for those unable to care for themselves. What a disgusting lot you are.
I hear from an inside source that only a select number of employee's are getting hazard pay. A Corrections officers told me that others that are at risk are not?? Not sure why that is? They all should be getting hazard pay.
Too much overthinking the issue. Throwing more $ at the problem is impractical and ultimately useless. Debt and deficit markers at all levels of government will endure for a decade or more. Sure there are hazardous jobs, but that’s why God invented hero’s.
Meanwhile in private sector...a customer of mine told me he would rather die of COVID than die of COVID homeless. The public sector should enjoy their paychecks and/or hazard pay now because the cuts are coming and the cuts will be as Trump would say, huge.
Essential workers are making out while the rest of you non essentials sit on your asses at home. Listen like good sheep and wear your masks!
@12:05AM, Please get your facts straight. The President has been clear that any federal monies used should be corona virus related only. Both Gov's Murphy and Cuomo want "no strings attached" money so they can use it any way they want to fix years of fiscal mismanagement. I don't think so!
As far as raw politics check out who got Wolfs operation waivers here in the Lehigh Valley, Crayola, Vitaliuc, etc and then follow the campaign donations back and you'll see exactly how "raw politics" works.
Budget-saving job cuts ahead, yes.
Still employed worker now being asked to do the work of 2 people, yes.
Cuts in benefits, yes.
Fewer work hours, yes.
More taxes paid on earnings, yes.
Higher Co-pays, yes.
Higher prices at the stores, yes.
. . . . Ain’t this prolonged Shut-down great?
Full disclosure, I do not care for Lamont McClure. After a council meeting last year I ran into him, Barron and Dertinger in a local establishment. I watched them treat the wait staff like garbage, rude doesn't even to begin to describe their behavior. I was disappointed in their behavior to say the least.
Having said that I must say the past couple of days I have seen things his way. I am fine with the hazard pay, as long as, and this is important, as long has it's given out fairly and not just to the "connected". Second, I was so happy to see him stand up to the Human Services folks. They are essential just like the jail and Gracedale, child abuse and elder abuse continue, and most likely have increased because of Covid. He noted reduced productivity. He was being polite of course, because what he really meant is he gave them a chance and they took advantage of it. Good for him!
Love the blog Bernie! Don't always agree with you views but IMO you do a great service to the valley.
This PA State Senator is doing an outstanding job. I encourage you to visit his site for the latest and most complete information.
https://senatormastriano.com/
Note: I have never met this fellow, nor am I a member of his political party. He just seems to be working hard on behalf of all citizens. His website and newsletters are clear and easy to understand. I would, if I could, vote for any candidate who performs like this. It might interest you to know, this Senator, in-writing, has called for the resignation of the PA Health Director.
Are recipients at least required to hold the county harmless with respect to future claims?
Hazard pay is essentially preemptive settlement.
-Clem
"After a council meeting last year I ran into him, Barron and Dertinger in a local establishment. I watched them treat the wait staff like garbage, rude doesn't even to begin to describe their behavior. I was disappointed in their behavior to say the least."
I am sorry to read this. I only see all three in the courthouse cafeteria, where they have always been good to the wonderful cooks, who prepare great meals at reasonable prices. Steve Barron is very affable so I think it's highly unlikely he would be rude to anyone. McClure is very formal with people he does not know. Many people, including myself, read him wrong until they get to know him. Charles is a proper bastard and worse, a New Yorker. He can't help himself, lol. But he's getting better. A little.
"He noted reduced productivity. He was being polite of course, because what he really meant is he gave them a chance and they took advantage of it. Good for him!"
Misrepresentations have been made at other social sites that these workers were still very productive. If that were the case, they'd all still be working from home. But the county checks things like computer usage, cell phone usage and log ins. Some of the loudest complainers were basically treating their time at home as a paid vacation.
Also, so far as I know, the persons getting hazard pay are those dealing with Covid-19. Those are the so-called favorites.
Other health systems and skilled nursing facilities have done the same thing, offered incentives and rewards to those staff people who are taking care of these patients.
I do not see what the argument is. I am a small government, low taxes guy; however, i rather have staff at gracedale taking care of the patients than the national guard
Government and politicians on all levels are bad things will only get worse--no hope
"Some of the loudest complainers were basically treating their time at home as a paid vacation."
I made a similar comment here about five weeks ago and was ripped.
Probably bc you did so with no factual basis.
Funny how some local and state gov't are mismanaged and the rest of the country needs to pay for those who screwed up ? Take responsibility for who and what you elected for people. I like the one comment on here about putting more people into unemployment. Will the people ever get unemployment pay? Harrisburg and other nearby states cant even distribute those "FEDERAL $$$" they were given to support the states system for the people . Wonder what those states are really doing with all those $$$ ? They certainly don't care about you or I.
7:38 is an overpaid county employee snob. "Nothingness job?" You mean like grocery store workers, garbage collectors, warehouse workers, truck drivers? You mean people who are really essential?
My guess is that a hard-working and under-appreciated county worker took offense to being treated like a jerk from some jerk who does not care about anyone, essential or not. In other words, assholes like you.
Ok, imagine working that prison , the EASD is a cake walk job compared. The security staff is being paid to do nothing,the janitors have nothing to do . They would tell you it’s “in the budget . What else got loses here ? EASD will be looking to tax us more againwithreportabably lesser performance than other school districts in the valley and state , I say no . The county folks are in my estimations better , than the school district administrators.
This issue of who do what when, will proceed to other issues. Are we paying security, sheriff deputies when the court house is closed to sit home ? Well - what were they to do? Can some employee in the protonotaryS office be expected to work from home? What is fair competition for the risk of a Coronavirus as an employee in close quarters at the prison? See these are management issues that distance an appointee from a qualified manager. Yes I said this, tax payer number bill real estate 2247820 .
We only get the hazard for hours worked, not hours paid via sick or vacation time there jackass.
Prison employees are still exposed to the virus. With thermometers that record temps as low as 94 when we walk in the building we will never know if we're actually running a fever. We have to basically buy our own masks because we run out of surgical masks and now all 500 remaining inmates need them as well. We have no gloves left in the prison so serving meals to inmates is highly unsanitary. Those who show up deserve their hazard pay.
I'm a Corrections Officer at the prison. Despite the risks we are showing up and doing our job. When there is a lockdown for as long as we've had, tensions usually rise and trouble is inherent. Amazingly we have kept control and that is also a credit to the inmates. We didn't ask for hazard pay but we sure as hell won't refuse it. I live within my means with my regular rate even though my wife lost her job due to the pandemic. I'll gladly sacrifice my hazard pay if only things would get back to normal. This virus poses a far greater danger in here than anything I've ever dealt with within these walls. I just want to get through this and feel safe again. But for now, sadly this is the new normal.
McClure specifically singled out the corrections officers for stepping up and being there and not calling off. You are worth every cent of the hazard pay you are getting, which really is not a lot. I am sorry for your wife and hope she's been able to collect. A lot of people are still waiting. All the more reason for that hazard pay. You should not have to buy your own masks. I will pass this on. EMS should hook you up. Your department has been OUTSTANDING in this crisis, and that's with seven officers going down. You all deserve a recognition.
Jealous...
Kadiddlehopper?
@ 1:04am
Clem Kadiddlehopper was known as a "Wise Fool". Even though he seemed a little slow he could pull a fast one every so often getting one up on his counter part.
Clem took thing somewhat literally. For example when someone asked him how he spells Kadiddlehopper his reply was "Wrong Every Time!"
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Full disclosure, I do not care for Lamont McClure. After a council meeting last year I ran into him, Barron and Dertinger in a local establishment. I watched them treat the wait staff like garbage, rude doesn't even to begin to describe their behavior. I was disappointed in their behavior to say the least.
This is a complete lie, McClure treats all wait staff with respect and dignity all the time.
I myself work here at the prison, and as a corrections officer at the lower end of the pay scale (which isn't much IMO) risk my life every day because you never know what you're going to walk into. I am very grateful that I even have a job at the moment, even with what is going on in the prison. tensions are at an all time high and anything could happen, riots, fights, actually catching the virus, etc. even if they did not want to give us the extra 20% I still would show up to work because its my job and I signed up for this knowing shit could hit the fan at any moment.
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