Over the past few years, Northampton County Exec Lamont McClure and County Council have sparred over wages paid to county workers. There have been staff shortages in vital departments like Children and Youth, the jail, 9-1-1 and the Juvenile Justice Center. This friction in Northampton County has also been going on in Allegheny County. Its Council and former Exec Rich Fitzgerald were at war over precisely the same issue.
In Allegheny County, their Council took the unusual step of adopting an ordinance that would require $20 hourly wages for all employees by 2026. Fitzgerald took them to court, and a judge ruled that the Exec sets the pay, not Council under the terms of a Home Rule Charter that gives the Exec more power than he has under Northampton County's law. But guess what? A new county executive - Sara Innamorato - has been inaugurated, and she has already pledged to do exactly what Council wanted. Full time employees will be paid a minimum $22 an hour by 2027.
Innamorato argues this will save taxpayers money in the long run because there will be less turnover and increased productivity. She is also giving even new employees three weeks of vacation instead of five days. She will also remove degree requirements from some positions. Her argument? “The county has a record low unemployment right now, and that means hiring is competitive and the county cannot compete if we are not recognizing the work/life balance that people need to be successful.”
There have been no lawsuits between Executive McClure and County Council in NorCo, at least not yet But government by litigation is certainly in the long-range forecast.
Over McClure's strenuous objections, including a veto, Council has ordered a pay study of county employees. This has extended well beyond its predicted 12-week time frame. It is limited to nonunion workers, who only make up a third of the workforce. It includes 4th class counties, which pay lower wages than third class counties like Northampton. Regardless of what is ultimately learned, one need only look to Lehigh or Bucks County to see that employees doing the dame work are paid more.
When he was Executive, John Brown called the employee the county's most treasured asset, but balanced his annual budget on their backs. McClure rightly took Brown to task, especially when Brown unilaterally (and illegally) reduced medical benefits for even union workers.
Unfortunately, McClure is doing exactly what Brown did, with the exception of union benefits. When even Republican Council members are urging him to raise wages, it's time to listen.
32 comments:
Does the union know that they have been investing in the wrong person? Lmonr makes big bucks, so why would he care about working-class families?
Whatever Northampton County decides to do, DO NOT FOLLOW ANY SUGGESTIONS COMING OUT OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY. They just asked the Federal Government to send illegal immigrants to their County because they have a problem keeping people at home in their County. Do not use them as an example. They don't have enough people to fill jobs in their workforce.
Yes, do a pay study but include all employees, both union and no-union and set their wages accordingly. McClure has negotiated with the unions without coming to council for our approval. He has changed their medical benefits without County Council approval. He is circumventing the process and no one is calling him to task because this Council is a rubber stamp.
The MANCGA Democrats that support McClure no matter what. You hear his top council officer Kraft calling for A partisan riot. You have brain dead democrats threatening elected officials that do not pledge allegiance to McClure. The stories are out there in person and on social media. Council has no backbone. The administration made the Company do fourth class counties to get a better McClure result. What about Bucks and second-class counties. If the Council has guts, thy would empower a study of their own, pay them themselves and pick the company, there is no law forcing them to go through procurement for A professional service they pay for and do all employees. McClure is anti-worker, and his little health center ploy is no substitute for real wages.
I hear McClure accomplished one thing, he brought about a full-scale Charter review commission. It will happen and his democratic MAGA's will have created it. Warms a republican's heart.
Who speaks for the taxpayer, who must pay these exorbitant salaries and benefits? Where, oh where, is Ron Angle when we need him?
Thank you for posting this, Bernie. This story needs more coverage.
Innamorato is a polished ,House of Representatives, example of good governance. She has a business degree, serves on many important committees, and knows her way around equitable and fair labor practice. She is also the first woman elected as County Exec in Allegheny county. Bernie is right on this one….she got it right for her county, McClure and posse’ should take a lesson from a fellow Democratic leader.
" Lmonr makes big bucks, so why would he care about working-class families?"
His salary is a meager $85,000, far lower than most of his cabinet officials. Some people at Gracedale and at the jail make more.
Bernie, you are totally correct. young people don’t want benefits any more. They want higher wages. End the pension. Go to a 401 K and use that money to pay whatever the third class equivalent of 2nd class Allegheny’s 22 buck is.
"You hear his top council officer Kraft calling for A partisan riot."
Not exactly, He called for 345,000 Dems to pack a Council meeting nd pressure them to select his pick. That is mob rule, but not a riot.
So what? He probably has a healthy savings account and 401k courtesy of asbestos lawsuits. Trump didn't take a dime as President. But haters like you forget that.
Wow ! Allegheny doesn’t give much time off. For example in Norco we accrue a sick day a month. They should be ashamed out there.
Lamont is a cheap bastard !
"Who speaks for the taxpayer, who must pay these exorbitant salaries and benefits? Where, oh where, is Ron Angle when we need him?"
The salaries are hardly exorbitant. Many jobs in the private sector pay more. The benefits are better than in the private sector, but they are now being reduced. If you want someone to answer a 9-1-1 call about an intruder or a fire at your home, you should expect that you need to pay the person answering a 2 am call. You need to pay people who keep you safe from imprisoned criminals at 2 am. You need to pay people who respond to calls about child abuse. You can't balance your budgets on the backs of these people. Of course, the fiscal impact of salary increases needs to be considered, but the county is drowning in money right now. It can easily afford to raise wages.
Man Bernie LamMonster is such a phony. Career Service only got 3.5 % this year. That’s not enough to keep up with anything.
Anonymous as 7:57- Your orange Trump hero DID take full compensation as Prez, as attested to in his tax returns.
Innamorato is an admitted socialist and radical who called all the white people in her representative district racist.
Then, she used her position to move into a run for county executive.
We have sensible elected Democrats in Northampton County. That cannot be said for Allegheny County. Innamorato makes McClure look like a right-wing conservative Vivek Ramaswamy would worship.
Let's not do what Allegheny County does.
It’s time to open the financials up for fair pay across this county. The taxes have not gone up and the county coffers are far from tight. If McClure praises his workers/employees for the county’s success, he should ante up or shut up .
McClure struts into negotiations and offers us step increase in the first to years and then only 2% in the last year. We want 3 step increases.
McClure actually brags about cutting the size of government. Sounds more like a Republican.
Why would the salary study include payroll information from smaller, fourth-class counties such as Monroe, Schuylkill and Franklin? These counties have lower populations and are typically more rural, resulting in a lower cost-of-living. Why not just compare Northampton to other third-class counties such as Lehigh, Berks, Lancaster and Luzerne? Before the results of the study are even released it has a bias towards lower salaries which questions its validity. I hope that the commissioners question the consultant about this and refuse to pay the invoice for a salary study that isn’t relevant. No one is saying that the Administration has to abide by the results of the study, but they should at least have good data to work with.
OMG….socialist and Radical…Did you do any research on the Allegheny Executive? Of course not, just throw your Schmeer at random….your Trump crush is showing….oh, she’s a Dem with
Credentials …
Anonymous 2:27:
Why do so many people name-call someone as a Trumper because they criticize a Democratic, a socialist, a progressive, or a "defund the police" liberal politician? If you're reading this blog, I find it hard to believe that your thinking is so narrow that you have to resort to pedantic statements.
She's an admitted Democratic Socialist. She, indeed, inferred that white constituents in her representative district are all racist.
Imarato was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America until 2019. She seems to have jogged to the middle a little bit but she’s definitely a far left democrat. Regardless, I myself lean conservative but feel the employees here in Northampton County are under paid. 20 year veteran Corrections Officer making 25 bucks an hour, it’s an insult. Deputy Coroner ad says they start at 52k but they want the sun and the moon for qualifications. You can make that at a warehouse without having the nightmares of destroyed bodies in car wrecks.
The county executive does not care, council does not care, administration does not care. If they were in the workers shoes they would wake up. We cannot fill vacant positions because no one wants to work for the county. Period. We do not pay a competitive wage. The citizens of Northampton County deserve better. If you want quality and experience pay for it. And if you want people with knowledge and experience to stick around, pay for it. It’s pathetic to sit in interviews trying to hire people and say…nope, that’s all we pay. And when you have union staff making far more than management that’s a problem too. McClure shafted career service employees. And I’m sure he didn’t even think twice about it. Shameful.
If you listen to some of personnel on the county 911 system it sounds like they were hired by the county thru advertising on the side of a bus.
Exorbitant? It is obvious you do not know anything about operating a significant business utilizing skilled labor. To retain good, experienced employees, private businesses passed the $22 benchmark long ago.
Says the person that is probably still salty for failing the 911 exam two maybe three times.
Or a volley Captain or “Commander” whom will never forgive the dispatcher for calling them by the wrong unit # on one of their 7 calls last year.
You aren’t wrong, and you should have to work with them! Gives the term “negligent retention” a whole new meaning. But years ago when pay was competitive and there was a hiring list, only the best were chosen after testing. No more. The wage has only risen $3 in a decade…
@Vlad 5:35PM. What’s funny is he/she accuses you of not doing any research. She was a card carrying member of the democratic socialists of America so who’s not doing their research. She’s far left of most democrats and that’s a fact.
The problem in Northampton County is not so much the low starting pay, but no increases as you get service time in. As you learn the job and take on more responsibility, you should make more. People have 20 yrs of service, yet they’re only making 4 bucks more an hour than a new guy? And you have to train the new guy? Why stick around? The benefits used to make up for it but they’re not that great anymore.
I worked for the County for 23 years. Brand new college kids with NO experience were making only 3.00 an hour less than me. No lie! We went 4 years without an increase under Brown, then McClure for another 3 years, all the while the starting salary for newcomers kept increasing,
I wonder if decision makers read this blog. They aren’t listening to the workforce.
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