At Northampton County Council's September 5 meeting, corrections officers appeared to complain about "money, mandates, morale and management." They read into the record a statement from an officer, a 22-year veteran, whose wife unfortunately passed away. He has a special needs daughter, but mandates (mandatory overtime shifts of eight hours) make it necessary for him to choose between his family and his job. In fact, on Monday, he was one of the 14 officers who were forced to pull a double shift
Council member Ken Kraft, though supposedly a Democrat and retired union official, said nothing to corrections officers when they were there. He instead waited two weeks to dismiss this concern as a "sob story." He incidentally is a former jail administrator. With compassion like his, it's little wonder that morale has suffered.
Of course, there would be no need for mandates if the jail had a full complement of 212 corrections officers. But as I explained on Wednesday, there is a nationwide staffing shortage at jails and prisons. Though Executive Lamont McClure has hired 396 corrections officers, many of them quit for less stressful and higher-paying jobs. So on Monday's afternoon shift, when 14 officers were mandates, the complement of COs was only about 150.
How do mandates work? As it was explained to me, the jail administration first asks for volunteers. They are approved on the basis of seniority. But if the administration is still short, that's when officers get ordered to pull a second shift.
Let's say you're a CO, and your daughter has a birthday party on the very night you are ordered to stay. Or that you have an anniversary dinner planned with your wife. Tough shit.
"Saint Peter, don't you call me 'cause I can't go
"I owe my soul to the company store."
While corrections officers get no sympathy from the county jail administrators, they historically have looked out for each other. Someone can give his mandated double with another officer, with the understanding that he will fill in for that officer when he or she gets mandated.
The county has historically permitted these switches. It is getting the coverage it needs and without unduly stressing a county employee. But that recently changed. There are two possible reasons.
The first possible reason is that some COs began demanding money to work another officer's mandated overtime shift. Ther is nothing collegial about this kind of piggish behavior. The county learned of this practice during exit interviews with departing officers, and its remedy was to refuse to allow any switching at all.
The second possible reason is retaliation. Officers were ordered in the most recent arbitration to sit down and discuss scheduling changes with the county. The HR insisted on a town hall event with all COs because it believed the union negotiators were not being truthful with rank-and-file officers. In that town hall, the county discovered to its chagrin that union negotiators were mild in comparison to the regular officers. It realized it was going nowhere in discussing scheduling changes without agreeing to give the union something in exchange. So instead, it decided to take something away. Now, corrections officers who are mandated are unable to switch their shifts with other officers at all. Notwithstanding prior practice, the county states this switching is banned under the collective bargaining agreement.
I'd agree that no CO should be able to demand or accept money from another officer for working his shift. It's predatory.
On the other hand, it's ridiculous to prohibit an officer from agreeing to work someone else's shift, either out of the goodness of his heart or with the understanding that this favor will be returned down the road. If the collective bargaining agreement bans this practice, it needs to change. This will only increase the number of vacancies. Regardless whether it is retaliatory, it is certainly perceived that way.
Under the current schedule, officers have off every other weekend. No other county jail has this perk. If the county wants that to change, it really has to give something. On the other hand, corrections officers need to realize that the drop in staffing is a nationwide problem and should work with the county to adjust the schedule.
He instead waited two weeks to dismiss this concern as a "sob story."
ReplyDeleteBernie I did not reference this officers story in my 4 step statement, i did not name or mention him, the "Sob story" i was talking about was them saying they never get raises, i simply stated that if they had taken the steps offered to them they would be 4 or 5 steps higher than they are today. As a Union Representative i stated that negotiations to arbitration does not work and maybe the union leadership should try to negotiate a contract without the end game being arbitration, then blaming the administration on the poor raises they receive. When they came back they actually admitted that they are only 3 steps higher and would have been 4 had they accepted the contracts offered. I do not appreciate YOU saying that I do not care about this officer or his family as I understand the mandates and how hard they are on people. Hopefully in the future they can recruit individuals that will bring the numbers up and the mandates will be a thing of the past.
“ Hopefully in the future they can recruit individuals that will bring the numbers up and the mandates will be a thing of the past.”
DeleteThank you for pointing out the obvious. I’m certain that suggestion has already occurred to many. The issue with council members, unfortunately, is that they seem to be disconnected from the daily realities faced by the working class, which leads them to offer overly simplistic solutions in the form of generic advice.
It’s not rocket science Ken, pay people more and throw in hiring and retention bonuses. We can’t hope and pray this problem goes away.
DeleteKraft you showed your true colors, you should please resign. You clearly went out of your way to score some points for your boss Mcclure that night. There is no reason to outright lie, you were shown the facts. The facts are McClure refuses to bargain and always lays out a take it or leave it deal, its my way or the highway. The facts are without a doubt the union got more from forced arb when in fact that is never the road anybody wants to go down. You stepped down to get an apportioned position by your pal Lamont, did nothing and now have a pension. The right time came along after you got vested you stepped down and now back on council. You should be ashamed of yourself working at the jail and then saying the comments that you did when you looked into the same eyes of those officers when you left for the day. The political game for kraft never ends, and lets be honest its not that serious your a local level joker, acting like your a sitting senate or congressman. And that also goes for the county council, why must be so divided? Local level should be about coming together and working for the people on the community level for the better. Needs to be improvement.
DeleteYou stated that they would be 4-5 steps higher as in they lost 4-5 steps by not accepting county terms. However, they only lost 1 step and actually made out better in arbitration for this past contract. The real problem is that is the fact that steps have to be negotiated. It’s sad, steps should be given based on years of service and the only wage increases that should be negotiated are COLAs.
DeleteWasn’t Ken Kraft accused of looking up inmates info and all the above for all the wrong reasons at one point while in NCP
DeleteOkay, they’re 3 steps higher, rather than 4 steps higher. However, you fail to mention that you blatantly “exaggerated” (LIED) that they’d be “4-5 steps higher” if they’d accepted the contracts offered. Perhaps that was just hyperbole? Also, I was wondering WHEN you were part of negotiations. I asked around questioning staff who have 15-20 years in the prison, none seem to recall your having ever worked a block. Can you share with the rest of the class your years of contract negotiations experience within the NCDOC, as an officer?
DeleteKen, I really don't give a shit what you do or don't appreciate. I can say with 100% certainty that your "sob story" remark has been interpreted by COs as a slur against an officer who lost his wife and has a special needs daughter. It is why officers came back to a subsequent meeting. It is reflected in their comments on previous posts. It was a shitty thing for you to do, especially since you are supposedly a union guy and even worked there. I also think it was somewhat cowardly. Like Jeff Warren did to Nat Hyman, you waited until they were gone before you attacked them. What you should be doing is apologizing to the officers and making clear that your choice of cords was unfortunate, and you had no desire to insult them. Instead, you try to weasel out of your own words.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree they were offered steps under McClure that they were not offered under Brown, Stoffa, Reibman or Brackbill. The practice of not offering steps started with Brackbill and has continued since then. McClure has offered more $ than previous Execs (probably more steps than previous Execs combined). Unlike Brown and Reibman, he has tried to hire as many officers as he can. I'd agree the schedule needs to change. But if you ever were really a union guy and not a sell-out, you'd realize that when management wants something, they need to offer something. That is why it is called collective bargaining. And you don't bargain by insult or by taking away a practice that actually was working.
Thanks for that Bernie. It’s really the truth.
DeleteWhat you are all missing is the schedule is the BIGGEST thing they have to recruit employees. With the pay being at what it is you will have a MASS exists from the jail if you switch it. When you have other jails in the area paying more then what officers at NCP make after 15 years of service what do you think is going to happen if they ever change it. They are gone. And it will be the officers the jail doesn't want to lose. The jail already loses good officers to PDs and the sheriff's department. Now make the schedule worse.
ReplyDeleteIf you keep the schedule that has worked for 50 years and have a pay that is some what competitive salary you will get good employees.
But we know this county executive he makes his numbers off the back of his employees by not giving steps. He is so much better then the last guy. Instead of breaking both your legs I will only break one. What great guy.
This schedule hasn’t worked for 50 years. Heavy mandates have occurred since 2006 era when the new jail wing opened. Heavy mandates for nearly 18 years means that the current schedule is not working and has not been working.
DeleteThat's funny some officers can remember officers begging officers to take one for them on Wednesday when they called around because there was only 25 OTs. Oh yeah that was in 2013 so once again stop lying to the public. You're idoits in HR are talking about ppl charging I heard of people paying back then for officers to take one for them. Oh yeah the jail was close to full complement , close.
DeleteWas talking to a CO the other day. He told me he can remember when officer would only get mandated in the summer. When ppl were taking vacation. And that was only 10 years ago
Delete11:57, OT and mandates come with staff shortages. I spoke with two officers who have many years of experience. They say that, when they first started, mandates were rare. They've become a problem now bc a jail that should have 212 officers now has about 150. This is, as I explained, a nationwide problem. Staffing shortages exist at many jails and prisons. There are also staffing shortages in law enforcement and even assistant DAs. As I've reported before, the Exec has hired 396 officers since he became Exec and is still getting hit with lots of departures. This problem started with the pandemic. It actually started in NorCo with John Brown, who was reluctant to hire staff. Interestingly, money is not the answer, or at least not the only answer. As I've noted before, many of those who leave the jail actually go into lower paying jobs. This might be bc of the stress of working in an environment in which many of the inmates are severely mentally ill. The men and women who work at a jail are very vigilant about preventing inmates from killing themselves, but that has to be an emotional strain. So I believe this staff shortage is going to be around for a few years. This is why the admin wants to change the schedule. But if they want to change the schedule, they need to give the COs something in return. That is how collective bargaining works.
DeleteTough guy Kraft and ole Brownstain both missed the Budget hearing on Wednesday. Even old man Heckman showed up. Kraft and Brown share the same work ethic.
ReplyDeleteYeah they attend from home via video
DeleteBlue Box should apologize or resign. He has no place in this county, stick to what you know Scuba Steve
ReplyDeleteNobody got better contracts for his guys than Ken Kraft ! There isn’t a better Union man alive. As for the guards at the jail, ask them what they do to advance the union interests of any other union members. They care only for themselves.
ReplyDelete#1 the jail has been a union for a long time,i believe 70s. If we were going to help other locals , AFSME should of umbrella us w/ the rest of the county. They didn't want that because then we would be we would be over1500 members strong. Then the county would be forced to have true negotiations. (Like teachers do).in PA it's against the law for jails to stop work.if we were all together the other sections could forse real change. Moral of story AFCME still gets the same amount of $ but doesn't have to spend alot negotiating . Just sad for the working Man/woman
DeleteYou are right we only think of ourselves, we are the ones who came to work during covid. We are the ones who come to work in hurricanes ,blizzards on weekends and holidays. So why should they all be treated the same. When that officer said that the offer was fair, fair doesn't make it right. Take care of your employees .
DeleteKraft only does what McClure lets him do. He only says what McClure lets him say. He doesn't need to go to budget meetings because he will support whatever McClure tells him to support.
ReplyDeleteThe COs are in a tough position because the top state guy in their union is a huge fan of McClure and praises him. He will not help you as a union as he cares more about helping McClure. Why do you think other AFSME union folks got settled quickly. Good luck, you will need it. You have at least three county council people who work for McClure and not your interests.
Look in the not too distant future you’ll be getting 0-1-0 offers with big increases to healthcare. You should be kissing Tom Tosti’s ring. He fights so much harder for you than you deserve.
DeleteKen is going to be executive. He's your daddy. Cope harder.
ReplyDeleteIf he runs for CE, I wholeheartedly encourage the person who runs against him to contact me. (If it isn’t me who primaries him) I will help bury him. The man is a degenerate pervert. All I’m saying is the kettle is on and I have tea for anyone who wishes to join the party.
DeleteThis would be hilarious ! And, since Bernie thinks there’s now way Ken could win, it’s very likely he will.
DeleteTom Tosti is the COs best friend ! That great contract they currently have Tom wrestled the county to the mat to get. You better show some respect to Tom or next time things might not go as well.
ReplyDeleteGet back to work, ya lazy bums, and stop wasting our taxpayer dollars!
ReplyDeleteTalk like that can give you a yeast infection, calm down.
Deleteannon 9:47, a threat?? Sounds like TT comment hit the mark.
ReplyDeleteNobody cares more about the COs than Tom Tosti. Tom Tosti fights for all AFSCME members and thanks to Tom Tosti you have a great financial package.
DeleteJust a thought but maybe the county can give a choice of benefits/$ . Most new employees don't care about benefits ( they are on parents till 26) you then can give more than $1200 a yr rather than what the county pays per employee for benefits (30+k)
ReplyDeleteJohn Brown will definitely do this right after he scraps the pension and rolls over to a 401K.
DeleteTom Tosti is a great negotiator, and these guards don’t deserve him.
ReplyDelete