In recent weeks, I've written about the high number of vacancies at numerous Northanpton County departments. At Gracedale, the shortage is so bad that nursing staff has to be imported from outside agencies. There are also critical shortages in manpower at the juvenile justice center (run by the courts), the jail, 911, prosecutors and in Children, Youth and Families (CYF). I have argued for years, under at least three different administrations, that payscales are too low and it's too hard top move up. Executive Lamont McClure, however, insists things are going well.
At the last County Council meeting, he said he wanted to have Human Resources Director Mary Lou Kaboly address Council on her recruiting efforts.
He acknowledged "a bit of a shortfall" in 911 disptachers, but insists "We're filling those slots back up." To prove his point, he reported that 200 people accessed a skills assessment for a telecommunicator job. "This is indicative to me that perhaps a dam is breaking in terms of ability to hire." But, and this is an important but, McClure failed to state how many of those 200 actually applied.
Concerning the jail, McClure boasted that he's running two corrections officer classes simultaneously with another class starting in October. He predicts the county will soon be back to a full complement of prison guards. But, and this is an important but, McClure failed to state he has lowered the eligibility standards.
After painting this rosy picture, McClure dismissed the argument that steps are set too low. "Clearly, that's not the case.
McClure might be the only person in the county who believes this.
At their September 1 meeting, Northampton County Council introduced an ordinance for a long awaited pay study. Interestingly, the proposed law requires administration officials to cooperate in getting it done. This matter is being sponsored by John Goffredo and Tom Giovanni.
Council also introduced ordinances to increase the salaries of all elected officials. Much as I support this raise, Council should hold off on giving themselves an increase until the workforce is adequately compensated.
I don't know who McClure is listening to, but someone is giving him very poor advice. He brags about having a very large financial surplus and outright refuses to deal with a extremely low morale problem caused by low wages paid to a dedicated workforce. He lost my vote and he will not get the vote of his employees once the pay study is completed and they see how he's been screwing them. Inflation is at 8% and he is giving 2% step increases. Time for McClure to go. His next opponent will not be a Steve Lynch. McClure will go down.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned Bernie, for the prison, they removed both the Physical Agility test and the Written test. Lowering these standards for hiring is already having a negative impact with the quality of the new hires.
ReplyDeleteThe turnover rate for the prison was at 28% last year and this year we have already lost 40+ Officers. What McClure is also leaving out is that the hiring manager has completely exhausted his waitlist. So whatever we have applying now, is all we get. Just 4 years ago, we had over 10k people look at the job postings for the jail, this year we have barely 1k views. That's a 90% drop, people just don't want to work in a jail for sub-$19/hour, not when places like WaWa start at $15/hour and local warehouses are starting in the mid $20s/hour.
Needless to say, I'm posting anonymously because there would be repercussions for putting the truth out there and making the Administration look bad.
Thank you Sir... From one your officers.
DeleteGood for them. Good luck getting king McClure to work with council. I doubt he will let his administration do much except drag their feet. He is against the study and sees himself as the only leader of the county. Should be interesting to see if council has the guts to do this. McClure is known to have his rubber stamps on the council. What is he so afraid of, if he is Mr. Transparent?
ReplyDeleteLamont, the fabulously rich asbestos lawyer can easily absorb 33% increases in eggs and milk in the Biden economy. If you're a county employee who voted for Biden, you deserve to be hungry and should shut your face.
ReplyDeletePat them what they are worth! $30 an hour, defined pension plan, 100% medical coverage.
ReplyDeleteThen we will be back to the 1980’s.
Bernie when the study shows that salaries should be cut or jobs could be eliminated, will you support that ?
ReplyDeleteMost County workers are very happy. The Silent Majority if you will.
ReplyDeleteGod Bless Lamont for protecting the taxpayer !
ReplyDeleteThe Union said that Northampton County was one of the few counties in PA not to use the pandemic as an excuse to lay employees off. I doubt very much McClure would use a pay study to fire workers.
ReplyDeleteLowered the standards. Lol they placed the bar on the ground at the ground. At the jail
ReplyDeleteMcClure will not lay any workers off because of a Pay Study
ReplyDeleteHave you heard Lori run a meeting? She is gonna study this and then say we need to compromise, hold hands and say cumbia. She does not realize that there are winners and losers in a study. Not everybody can win. She is gonna have tons of people who feel undervalued by a study... will she support those people that will have their pay frozen?
ReplyDeleteJust drive around the valley and look at the signs. Why waste the money - put that same money to peoples pay. I see signs with starting rates from $18 to $24 for many positions.
ReplyDelete"The Union said that Northampton County was one of the few counties in PA not to use the pandemic as an excuse to lay employees off. I doubt very much McClure would use a pay study to fire workers."
ReplyDeleteHe did not lay people off and he kept county offices open whenever possible. He is tyo be credited for that.
Didn't Council and McClure just get a raise?? So the pay study requires cooperation from the executive? Good luck with that. They (McClure and Charlie) have decided that pay increases for county employees would ultimately require a tax increase. They want to keep their jobs by the next election and know that tax increases are typically vote killers. Employees be damned.
ReplyDelete"As you mentioned Bernie, for the prison, they removed both the Physical Agility test and the Written test. Lowering these standards for hiring is already having a negative impact with the quality of the new hires.
ReplyDeleteThe turnover rate for the prison was at 28% last year and this year we have already lost 40+ Officers. What McClure is also leaving out is that the hiring manager has completely exhausted his waitlist. So whatever we have applying now, is all we get. Just 4 years ago, we had over 10k people look at the job postings for the jail, this year we have barely 1k views. That's a 90% drop, people just don't want to work in a jail for sub-$19/hour, not when places like WaWa start at $15/hour and local warehouses are starting in the mid $20s/hour.
Needless to say, I'm posting anonymously because there would be repercussions for putting the truth out there and making the Administration look bad."
Here we go again. Why do you have a union? That is supposed to protect you from repercussions. I hAve heard to many people speak openly for me to continue buying this nonsense. Face it, you're just like most people. As for the quality of the staff, I'd like to see anyone working as a CO or deputy sheriff required to pass physical agility tests each year. If they fail, they go on a program like the military. If they continue failing, they have to go. This should include the two-mile run, push ups and sit ups. Like the military, the requirements depend on age. Given what you folks do, you should be in shape. To mew, it is more important for current staff to be fit than new hires.
Once again the union does try to negotiate. But with this administration as the last couple there is no negotiation. Take it or leave it . And if you go to arbitration they pull their offer and try to kill everything. So you just run with your physical agility BS and try to put ppl down. And give your boys protection.
DeleteTheir union has no power because they can’t strike. As far as PT testing, how are you supposed stay in shape when you have to work double shifts every day and eat the crappy food they give you? Kids, house to take care of and mandated overtime is not a great work life balance. Pay them what Berks county pays, 65k after a year, then talk about physical fitness standards.
DeleteThe standards for hiring are used to weed out people who don’t really want the job and are to lazy to get in shape to get hired.
Bernie, I'm a retired CO and it's clear that whoever complains about repercussions is not reading their contract. I always used to tell them to read the damn contract! Starting with the preamble, in addition to an. article, clearly tells them that their voice will be heard without repercussions or retaliation. Contracts are meant to benefit both sides and this contract is no different. So let's put that BS to rest.
DeleteHave you heard Lori run a meeting? She is gonna study this and then say we need to compromise, hold hands and say cumbia. She does not realize that there are winners and losers in a study. Not everybody can win. She is gonna have tons of people who feel undervalued by a study... will she support those people that will have their pay frozen?"
ReplyDeleteI believe it's important to run a meeting in which all voices are heard, so I will applaud the way Heffner has run her meetings.
Yes, like reassessment, there are winners and losers in a pay study. But that is why there is a personnel appeals board. In the Barston pay study, there were hundreds of appeals and they were all resolved. The system works if you let it work.
"Bernie when the study shows that salaries should be cut or jobs could be eliminated, will you support that ?"
ReplyDeleteNo pay study recommends elimination of jobs. Sorry, that is fear-mongering on your part. Be honest. But a pay study will find that some positions should be redlined, i.e. kept at the same salary. Those who are negatively affected can appeal this recommendation. There were hundreds of such appeals when the Barston study was done under Seyfried. They were all resolved. Let the system work.
The jail is at the worst state since the john brown unofficial "hiring freeze in 2015. The staff is 30 short not including military leave and staff out with injuries on the job puts it closer to 40. Yes two classes did start mind you I do not think it was HR great recruiting practices. The issue they had trouble attracting candidates due to a low starting pay. They first got rid of the agility test, now the writtn test to take the job. You can do a quick indeed search to see the ad they put out which is I'll say not the best add, when compared to other counites "caps letters, exclamation points etc" Not only is the add begging for help it shows how much other jails pay better in our area. The closest pay is monroe county who mind you has a pay scale with required raises set in a time frame. Lehigh county has raised their starting rates to 27.21 which I would assume using cares act money, to combat their staffing issues. When the starting rate is 18 and change it is a no brainer where a applicant would look.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=corrections+officer&l=Easton%2C+PA&from=searchOnHP&redirected=1&vjk=42f9ba1eb1b29537&advn=9187848647855001
"Good for them. Good luck getting king McClure to work with council. I doubt he will let his administration do much except drag their feet. "
ReplyDeleteMcClure has told me that, if the ordinance passes and survives a veto, he will faithfully execute it. I have never found him to be dishonest, even when I was highly critical of him. He is actually a very good Exec who just needs to pay more.
I hope and pray that employees show up for this meeting on THURSDAY THE 15 AT 700.So he can put his head down like he always does around employees and walk away.
DeleteBut on the other hand I understand if they don't. This administration is very vindictive. He will tell his people to go after employees that are there.
Correction ! Lamonster won’t lay off any Union workers.
ReplyDeleteAll joking aside. Force reduction is a real possibility as a result of a Pay Study.
ReplyDeleteWho wants to get urine a feces thrown on them for 18 bucks an hour? The pay is a joke!
ReplyDeleteYeah, he will really work on it. Sure. He has got you where he wants you. You are right, he is as honest as he has to be.
ReplyDeleteWhy do a pay study? The last one they did never saw the light of day. Would have cost the county too much money to pay folks for the jobs they do.
ReplyDelete.
No need for pay study, been there. They did one before and never released the results..
ReplyDeletejust move people to the steps they earned.
Hey really $30 an hour isn’t that much! It is 2022 and we are talking about Northampton County, one of the richest counties in the Lehigh Valley. Perhaps if you would collect the right amount of taxes you could easily pay $60,000 to hire people for these jobs. Let’s face reality $18 an hour is a slap in the face. My case study would show that $24 an hour would suffice, with benefits of course. Then you would get a population of competence workers.
ReplyDeleteAs with the jail, 911 keeps lowering hiring standards to get applicants, with the latest ad offering the free skills assessment. You are taking a job that perhaps 1-2% of the population can even do proficiently and then getting mediocre applicants for said job, lives are going to be at risk. The talent pool seems to have run dry of those who wish to work long shifts for a wage that won’t rent a local apartment under any circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI crunched the numbers. Everyone deserves pay raises. The study is in a notebook somewhere on my desk. But trust me, it's there and it's deserved.
ReplyDeleteAs a former County employee I can tell you with a very few exceptions 95% of the employees are wayyyyyyyyy over payed for the service they provide most County employees need to have thier pay cut.
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