Two weeks ago, Northampton County Council member Ken Kraft ended the biweekly meeting by lashing out at Council President Lori Vargo Heffner for a taxpayer-funded junket to Tampa Florida for annual convention of the National Association of Counties. Last night, he started the meeting by attacking the "gaggle", as he called them of unionized corrections officers who appeared and complained at the last meeting.
This is interesting because Kraft was himself a business manager for the painters' union and is someone who historically has been very pro-union. He also spent five years as an administrator at the jail.
Kraft stated that corrections officers complained two weeks ago that their contracts are unfair and they haven't gotten steps (steps are 4.5% increases in the payscale). "So long as I've been involved in the prison, if they would have taken the contracts that they were offered and not went to [binding] arbitration, they would have been at least four or five steps higher than they are. Every contract they were offered pretty good terms and they voted them down. Their union representative told them not to take the terms, let's go to arbitration, and then they get like a quarter an hour or something. Then they come back to the next contract and say, 'oh all we got was a quarter an hour.' You did it to yourselves. So I just want everybody to know you had that sob story about somebody who has been there forever and step whatever, well they would have been at least four or five steps higher if they had taken the contracts that were offered in the last seven years - the last three contracts. I just want to let that be known."
Kraft's broadside drew a response from Council member John Goffredo, which was also interesting because he is no fan of unions.
Goffredo defended the gripes of unionized corrections officers. He said they told him they could go to Lehigh County and get paid more, but Kraft called that an "anomaly" because Lehigh charges more for health care.
At this point the two began speaking to each other at the same time with neither listening to what the other said. Unfortunately, they remained civil.
I'd say more but I wasn't listening.
44 comments:
I still don't understand how they do steps in Northampton County. Seems very different from when I worked in Lehigh County.
BO, you know that Kraft is the part of the McClure administration that happens to be on council. He is the leader of the little three. Kraft is the top McClure apologist.
They ain’t going to Lehigh. Then they wouldn’t get off every other weekend. Lehigh doesnt get every other weekend off.
Goffredo should stick to refusing to feed residents at Gracedale. The 7 foot tall JSK explained the Sodexo situation at the Fiscal meeting.
Union definition - A group of malcontents that sole purpose in life is to whine.
I'd rather have a sister in a whore house than a brother in a union.
Sounds like they should’ve signed the contract. And of course Goffredo would be contrary. He has a problem with everything.
J.P. Goffredo should stick to sharing bigotry on his Twitter account.
Kraft is bought and paid for by McClueless.
Kraft works for the administration. He went native, long ago. He views himself as Lamont's heir apparent and likely has assurances. Also, coming from a trade union, he despises public service unions, as many trade laborers do. Trade unions overwhelmingly support Trump. Public service unions (with the exception of cops and firefighters) overwhelmingly support Harris because they have nowhere else to go.
This left wing democratic blog is like the View it should be abolished.
You can't apologize for the Truth, tell the Union Reps to stop lying
This Kraft guy. Geesh. Meeting after meeting he's the biggest asshole of the bunch.
To each their own.
Why is telling the truth being an asshole? Why is questioning illegal spending for vacations being an asshole? Kraft is only bringing to light what you do not want to see.
You made this comment a few days ago. By the way, how is your sister ?
All Kraft did when he worked at the prison was collect a paycheck and act like a big shot. He should give the money back to the taxpayers for doing nothing.
Pictures speak a thousand words. Ask to see any of the pictures (we know how he liked forwarding those to you) taken when Kraft's cake job at the jail was ripped from beneath him because McClure needed a rubberstamp on County Council. The transition of Kraft stepping away from the politically gifted, no accountability, made-up position of Public Safety Admin. was met with Kraft looking like a petulant child in handing the keys to the next guy. Anything Kraft says about the Prison employees is expected to be untrue and biased. He couldn't name more than 5% of the work force there. I trust his deceit is not taken to serious anywhere, let alone in Council Chambers.
John Paul Goffredo had all the chops to be the future of the Norco GOP. And, then he went on X and called gay people groomers.
6:49 When can I meet your sister?
The COs should agree to change the schedule for the steps. Kraft (and Heckman) should not be able to collect a county pension and Council salary at the same time. It's double dipping.
Off topic but any input on the Dean Browning/LCRC/Mark Pinsley lawsuit?
https://www.mcall.com/2024/09/19/former-county-commissioner-named-in-defamation-lawsuit-from-lehigh-county-controller/
Not all gays are groomers, just most. How many proudly fly their MAP flags? Answer: a lot. I'm gay and despise groomers. But I also know I'm in a shrinking minority.
Did you see the contracts approved Thursday night. Goffredo objected because of a lack of bids for 15 million in spending. His envelope of cash must have been missing lol. They blow 15 million without bids yet the employees get the finger. Such nice people.
Not so bad. Turns out the whorehouse was a union shop...
6:09, I have not yet written about this part of the meeting. I generally do not have a problem with a low number of bids for highly specialized services like food services at Gracedale. It's not like a construction contract. But your criticism is hyperbolic. Even if you all voted NO, no one would go hungry. The current contract would just be extended.
7:02, lol.
4:11, As someone who likes to follow what is going on, I really should be following the twitterverse, but I just can't get into it. Has nothing to do with politics, I just never liked the format or the character limit. But instead of just telling us this is what Goffredo said, I'd appreciate it if you could provide an actual quote. A link would be great.
My understanding is that there is no scientific evidence that gay people are any more likely to be a pedophile than a heterosexual. They tend to be people who themselves were sexually abused as children. But we are drifting off topic but supply an actual quote from Goffredo or a link to any offending tweet.
Judging by the attacks, it looks like the McClure gang views JP as a threat to be the next County Executive.
Kraft is fool of poop. His comment that if we would take what was offered in the past contracts, we'd be 5 steps ahead. I no longer work for the county for obvious reasons (along w/ many other good officers). I was in involved w/ past 3 contracts and there is no way we would of gotten 5 steps more. They would have to offer more than one step for contract to obtain anything close to that. The truth is we are one of the lowest paid county prisons (for our size) in the state. It's sad I finally put up enough courage and tried something new after 25yrs of county employment and I'm now making more money walking dogs then I was making as a CO.. Just plain sad. This is the reason NCP hasn't been close to full staffing levels for over 15yrs.
Steps in NORCO are given to workers as long as the Executive gives the order to allow them during negotiations, or else you get a % offered to you, usually 2-2.5%. I've been through 3 administrations and the "advertised payscale" is deceiving.
It should be 1 step per year until you reach the top and then the only negotiation should be healthcare and cost of living increases.......... but it's cheaper to have a rotating door.
The whorehouse girls were invited to a union clam bake QUESS WHO WAS THERE YOUR SISTER
How much is your County pension Kyle ? What did you earn with OT in your last 3 years Kyle ?
Why do you stay, I mean other than to lie about your pay ?
Everyone has their own reasons for staying. In my job specifically I am at a point where I am comfortable and I live within my means.
I have no reason to lie. I am also not complaining, just stating my opinion based on experience and facts. I don't know why you would assume I'm lying about my pay when I did not mention it. You are very defensive over my comment, which is the reality of contract negotiations. Another fact, McClure offered more than Brown ever did in negotiations and the steps were frozen during the Stoffa era.
No threat. An R needs D votes to win. John Paul’s Twitter feed will make that improbable.
Kraft is wrong in the past we have been lucky to get one step every three years offered, during Covid had to fight tooth and nail for a 1/2 percent that McClure didn’t want to give out and took the deal offered
#1 is I didn't want my overtime. I'd rather see my kids, but council decided to build a new section in the jail that needed 30 cos and was only approved for 11. Still unsure on that math. Lol. As far as my pension I lost 60% due to my age. Still best decision of my life. Also I put my name to this blog mabe you should do the same
Krafty is McClure's useful tool to defend his every action. You hate the CO's but Kraft is full of shat. It is a well-known fact that Kraft was given the job to muddy up the current council members, especially Hefner and Heckman so McClure can get his democrats nominated and elected next year. McClure is the most partisan executive ever and wants to completely control Northampton County and no questions asked.
Yes, this is very strange compared to what I experienced in Lehigh.
Heckman ain’t running for anything. Lori is toast. She did that to herself when she chose to publicly repudiate the Labor Movement.
I have never seen anything like this actually. A close family member is state AFSCME and they get a step a year. No fuss, no muss. I had wrongfully assumed (before applying to the County of course) that we would get the same.
7 years and they'd be 4 or 5 steps higher? As a former CO I call BS. I began working there December 2015. I got a step January 2016 and then another step wasn't even OFFERED until January 2022. People worked there for 6 years before being offered a step. People had worked there for 6 years making the same as brand new officers off the street who had been hired because of the lower standards (no agility test). Kraft is full of shit here.
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