Local Government TV

Friday, May 19, 2023

NorCo Council Addresses Staffing Shortage at Juvenile Justice Center

On April 21, a 16 year old teen stole a car near Cheston elementary school after the driver exited the vehicle with the engine still running. Pennsylvania State Police apprehended this youth an hour later in Ross Township, Monroe County. He was charged but was released to his mother because Northampton County's Juvenile Justice Center lacked the staffing to handle him. The very next day, this same teen carjacked another vehicle parked outside a Palmer Tp convenience store with its engine running. This time, an 8 year old girl was in the car.  When the driver saw the carjacking, she ran outside the store and tried to get in the car. She got a hand on the door, but was repelled and hit her head on pavement. Fortunately, the 8 year old (the driver's daughter) managed to unlock the door and jump out. This teen led police on a high speed chase before rolling the car in Upper Nazareth Tp. 

Northampton County Court Administrator Jermaine Greene and Juvenile Justice Center Director JaMarr Billman described this incident to Northampton County Council on Wednesday when discussing the staffing crisis at the county's Juvenile Justice Center (JJC). 

"This is a public crisis, guys, said Greene. "We gotta' stop playing around here."

The JJC is an 84-bed facility budgeted for 57 youth care workers. Right now, only 19 are employed, with no new hires in the pipeline despite efforts from Human Resources to get the word out. There's a serious staffing shortage at JJCs throughout the state, widely believed to be caused by low pay. Youth care workers, who must have at least an associate's degree, are only paid $16.46 an hour. The county has offered a new contract that mirrors the compensation paid to corrections officers, but union negotiators have declared an impasse and demanded arbitration. The matter has lingered for 17 months with no arbitration date in sight until yesterday, when a date was finally set for June 29.  

In an attempt to get staffing at the JCC, Greene has proposed eliminating 15 vacant, not filled, full-time youth care caseworker positions as well as 5 vacant, not filled, part-time youth care caseworker positions and replacing them with 13 assistant supervisor positions. These supervisory positions would include an annual salary of $49,721, but would be nonunion. 

There would still be 42 full-time youth care caseworker positions and 20 part-time youth care caseworker positions

This bothered the union. The same union that has dragged its feet about scheduling an arbitration. 

For some reason, this move also bothered the county administration. Human Resources Director Mary Lou Kaboly informed County Council that this move, if made without a memorandum of understanding with the union, could be perceived as an unfair labor practice.  This was disputed by Greene: "If the union disagrees with me, they can file a unit clarification petition with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, and they decide. Not me. Not you. Not the County Executive. Not the union. Let them decide."

Greene later explained, "I've been coming here since October 2021 to talk about the juvenile center and how badly we need staffing. Every time I come here, there's a roadblock. Every time I come here, there's something that you're getting a memo. Every time I come here, I'm subverted. It's always something. This isn't how we should be running county government."

Council member John Goffredo agreed. "Not for nothing, but this problem has existed as long as I've been here, and they have not made any progress at all. Finally we have a solution that Mr. Greene has come up with, with his people, and it seems like we're throwing up roadblocks." 

At last night's meeting, the same duo of Council members - Kevin Lott and Tara Zrinski - who have thrown up roadblock after roadblock to every staffing change suggested by Greene, continued that same pattern of obstruction. 

Latt and Zrinski first attempted to have Greene's staffing proposal tabled.  All seven remaining Council members voted No. 

After that failed, retired trade union agent Lott accused Greene of wanting to "knock the union out." He suggested that Council should wait until June 29 for the arbitration or create the supervisory positions without eliminating the union youth care positions. "I question Mr. Greene's motives. I think a big motive is getting the union out of this courthouse." He referred to the proposal as "union bustin'." 

Lott complained that a 2 to 1 ratio of supervisor to worker bee is ridiculous, and it is. But so is allowing a JJC to go unmanned and exposing the public to the criminal behavior of juvenile delinquents. So is refusing to provide treatment to children who need it./

Zrinski accused Greene of "circumventing the process of arbitration now that we have an arbitration date of June 29." She also called him "deceptive."

Council President Kerry Myers refused to allow Greene to respond to Zrinski's attack, but he later told her that questioning his integrity and ethics was "unacceptable to me."  

In response to a question from Goffredo, Greene said the assistant supervisors would be put to work as soon he could hire them, and he would have them working while the administration or union filed a unit clarification petition to determine union status.

Council member Ron Heckman asked Greene if he is trying to bust the union at JJC. Greene answered, "No, I'm not trying to bust the union. I'm trying to find solutions." He also was "a little apprehensive" about an arbitration date because he's been given four or five different dates. 

Executive Lamont McClure told Council that he would negotiate with the union to get the JJC exactly what the courts want. He indicated any resolution of the supervisory positions would come after the arbitration. He believes that the supervisory positions will likely be considered union.

"If this gets a fire lit to get this done, I'm all for it," said Council President Kerry Myers.  Greene's proposal was adopted 7-2. Council members Myers, Goffredo, Heckman, Lori Vargo Heffner, John Brown, Tom Giovanni and John Cusick voted Yes. Lott and Zrinski voted No. 

9 comments:

  1. Watching that was crazy. The union should be less worried about Greene and more worried about the dissatisfaction of the members. It is well known they work hand in hand with the executive keeping pay low. It is small wonder talk of decertifying runs rampant. The union bosses are too worried about pleasing McClure and not the members. No coincident that right before this was voted on an arbitration date was set pushing for another delay. Whose idea was that. It fools no one. The personal attacks on Mr. Greene were insulting.
    Is Zirinski able to think for herself. She didn't even read the information. Lott is a union person, but Zirinski sounds like she has a problem with information. It is a shame the way McClure uses them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. While you’re waiting to convince enough people to decertify, give yourself an instant pay raise by opting out of your union dues.

      Delete
    2. Is the union AFCSME? If so they’re circling the drain. About 15 years ago they lost the state corrections officers 7k strong. It’s been downhill ever since. Just this week they lost 1200 state parole agents. They’re to busy taking dues money and sending it to the AOC types in DC. Then along came the Janus decision and they’re in deep shit. No longer a closed shop they’re more interested in Washington politics then represented their local membership. Lots of grumbling with their PENNDOT Members as well. They suck!

      Delete
  2. This is more about Zrinski and Lott wanting to do away with juvenile lockups in general. Their criminal justice philosophy aligns with the far left of the D party. The union issue is secondary.

    ReplyDelete
  3. They lost personnel over the vaccine requirement. Tragic mistake for which we'll continue to pay for years. You were one of those zealots, Bernie. Take responsibility for the policies you supported that are still harming our kids.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lott is a union goon! Zrinski is absolutely clueless. The real problem here is Northampton county has been ignoring and under paying employees for years. Thats why the ignored salary study is so necessary I give kudos to Mr. Greene at least he is trying to find solutions and not throwing up roadblocks. Typical union/county relationship kick the can down the road to arbitration then give the workers pittance (Cost of living).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Be happy with what you get and stop trying to gouge the taxpayers!

      Delete
  5. Hoping the voters are seeing this “forest for trees” thinking of Ms. Zrinski. Imagine if she was the Mom of the 8 year old girl. Tara needs to step away from the public eye since she makes a fool of herself every time she opens her mouth. It’s scary enough that she has a vote on council. Imagine if she oversaw the county’s funds? Oh wait - that can’t ever happen right? Pay attention Norco residents.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Someone should ask if Zryinski and Lott ever sat down with Mr. Greene and offered their thoughts on how to resolve the situation rather than blocking it from functioning. Their job descriptions are based on managing and overseeing for the betterment of our community.

    ReplyDelete

You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.