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.
