Yesterday, I told you that SEIU local business agent Chris Ellis was at Northampton County Council's April 18 meeting. He presented a petition signed by over 100 human services employees who believe better pay is needed to combat double-digit vacancies in departments like Children and Youth, where there should be none. The last time I checked, and that was in 2022, I was told that the county had 8 of 13 allotted caseworkers to investigate sexual abuse allegations. But I'll assume that what Ellis said is correct. But why? Is low pay the only answer? Are other factors involved.
Here's what I know. Former Exec John Brown was raked over the coals on that very issue by none other than Lamont McClure. He frequently pointed to our obligation to care for our most vulnerable residents, those in the dawn or dusk of their lives. He made this a campaign issue.
But is the staffing shortage really the result of poor pay? Aren't there other factors?
The contract
Here's what I know about the "best and final offer" the county made to SEIU human services workers on a three-year contract. In year one, they will receive a 2.75% step increase plus cash equal to 4.5% rolled into the base. Year two will be a repeat of year one. In year three, they will get a 4% COLA.
Thise already at the top of their pay scales will be getting $1,750 cash bonuses in years one and two, along with the 4% COLA in Year 3.
So basically, the proposal amounts to a 13% payhike over three years.
There is a downside. Employees will be required to contribute 0.25% or 0.50% more of their salary for health coverage depending on whether they have a PPO or HSA plan. The county was wiling to offer an increase in deductibles instead, but the union rejected that option.
Overall, I'd say this offer is more generous than what the county has offered in the past to bargaining units. It dies seem to recognize it needs to pay more. But frankly, I think the staffing crisis has other causes.
Burnout
The simple reality is that many caseworkers, especially those who investigate child abuse or neglect, get burned out. Wen he was Director of NorCo's Children and Youth, Kevin Dolan often stated that most workers either leave or go to another, less stressful job. This stress also leads to unhealthy habits.
Civil Service
Another reason for a staffing crisis was, until recently, the requirement that the county make hires through a state civil service list that was usually outdated. The county began the process of opting out of state civil service in 2019. It took four years, but as of July, Northampton County is now free to hire on its own.
19 comments:
Your desire to cover for your boy McClure is the one constat in your opinion pieces. The problem is you are glossing over serious salary problems. The starting salaries are a joke. The ongoing salaries are not competitive with or structured in the Valley with the existing businesses or cost of living. The destruction of the classification and step system has negatively impacted employment. The steps should not be at the discretion of a county executive. They should be awarded as they were intended for satisfactory service though your yearly evaluation.
Check with former county officials and you will find that is true. McClure is trying to rest his lifetime county executive gig on the backs of employees and brag he never raised taxes. It is shameful but you won't criticize it. Instead, you will praise an unwanted health department over needed pay.
Already a positive affect of Council’s Pay Study, the offer of Step increases !
(Not) vaccine requirements. They were the poison pill. You're fired! Not very smart in retrospect. We've not recovered. Thanks McClure.
Did they consider being forced to take experimental drugs as a condition of employment, just might limit their pool of applicants and retentions? Probably not...
Speaking of Johns. This bargaining unit went 6 YEARS without a raise because they wanted to stay in their old healthcare plan. John Brown said fine. You want that healthcare plan they your raise will continue to be 0%. This went on for 6 YEARS. They want McClure to make the 6 Years of 0% raises.
Just another reason to approve the healthcare center for the county employees.
1:57, I am highly critical of McClure for the wages paid to employees and his desire to control everything, from individual Council members to LVPC. I have said so both here on this blog and to his face. It hampers his ability to get things done. But overall, he is an excellent exec who has made a big difference in this county and has actually done more than any exec I can remember. What he has done has actually saved lives. So yeah, I support him and will support him should he seek a third term. And since I am the kiss of death, I'll even predict his opponent wins.
The only answer to all the employment problems in the county are pay. I know you'll have your reads say stop bitching and look at your raises. But look at the starting salary. So do the math.
Then next things your readers say, then go somewhere else. And guess what they do..then you have these shortages.
Most your readers probably don't need county services. But when they do they bitch about trying to get someone on the phone. Or the length of time things take.
Then the readers forget the years the workers got no steps.
Then don't even bring up the way other counties treat their employees . Lehigh right next door. Can't even compare starting salary. So where do people go.
Then your fearless leader admitted that in his first 6 years he fell 18% behind the cost of inflation for his employees. Great job. When you go home Lamont look in the mirror and know you have employees making choices on major life decisions because you decided to cut budget by 3.5 % .maybe if you would have given that to employees salaries there wouldn't be so many shortages. Plus it would have helped with you big medical benefits problems. Remember the more employees make the more money goes into that fund
The Partnership Health Center is going to save the County 4 million dollars in the first 5 years.
Lori Vargo Heffner is going to single-handedly deprive thousands of employees and their dependents the employee health center - simply because she works for St. Luke’s.
Please tell what he has done that is so amazing?? He is not as bad as John Brown was. Not screwing employees as bad as him. Doesn't make him great. Just not breaking both legs just one. He's a great guy..
Wear house proliferation.... I know I see bulldozers outside all these town getting ready to proliferate places. Oh no. This idiot in the white house is making impossible to make a living as a farmer. So they sell their farms to survive.
People screaming to put Bethlehem steel out of business because it's killing the environment. But there goes a tax base. And up go the Wear houses.
But tell one me amazing thing he did....
Narcan for free for drug addicts . But if you're kid has diabetes your screwed for insulin. Yeah take care of the addicts who makes a choice to stick something in them. But born with diabetes you're screwed. That's the right choice.
"Lori Vargo Heffner is going to single-handedly deprive thousands of employees and their dependents the employee health center - simply because she works for St. Luke’s."
So do 20,000 others. St. Luke's was not in the mix. Please return to calling her a Republican, you one-note stooge.
The problem is our starting salaries are so low that even with what the county is proposing we will not be comparable to others in our field within the county or those surrounding us.
At 12:45, if you are on the County’s health insurance and you have a child who has diabetes and can’t get insulin, I’d be shocked. You should go straight to McClure and tell him.
At 1:43, why did you accept a position with such a “low starting salary?”
I think the person meant afford it. The narcan is free... is your insulin free when you're under county benefits. Is the health center gonna give out free insulin??
The civil service concern was argued years ago…it took too long to get the county to be responsible for their needs. The over simplified answer to all this is pay for your people. Increase the wages to bring in quality people and offer the incentives to stay for more than a year people.
Many talented and qualified have walked out the county door . The county has the ability to move on higher wages and offerings, so just do it.
For those of you questioning why we took the job in the first place or why don't we just leave for better pay...this type of work is HARD. You have to have a passion for it. You have to be qualified. You have to have a thick skin. And SOMEONE has to do it.
Would you rather put your tax dollars in McLiar's pocket or towards the children, aging, and needy in the community? If we, as a county, lose experienced social workers and support staff because we refuse to pay them a "fair" salary, then we are sacrificing the most vulnerable in our community.
And by "fair"...I think that if you work for Northampton County, you should be able to afford to live within the county.
Oh my .25 that’s a quarter for every hundred dollars they make towards a $2500 a month healthcare plan, oh the humanity!
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