NorCo Council: Extend OSHA Protections to Public Workers

What if I told you that private sector workers have more workplace protections than our police officers, firemen, corrections officers, road maintenance workers, and other public employees in Pennsylvania? That's a question State Rep. Patrick Harkins has asked his Harrisburg colleagues. Most private sector workers are protected by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA). Public sector employees, however, are on their own. Harkins has proposed legislation that would extend OSHA protections to government workers as well. His bill is languishing, however, in the House's Labor and Industry Committee. At their October 3 meeting, Northampton County threw their support behind Harkins' proposed law, which is called the Jake Schwab Worker's Safety Bill.

Schwab, a mechanic with the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, was fatally injured at work in 2014 by an exploding air bag. He had been using the wrong tools and was working at a garage that had gone nine years without safety training. His public sector employer is exempt OSHA protections.

Every Democrat in the Lehigh Valley delegation to the state house has agreed to sponsor this legislation. But not one Republican.

Jim Irwin, a former Gracedale employee who now works for AFSCME District 88, argued that worker safety protection should be the same for everyone. He said the proposal, first made four years ago, has never made it out of committee because of cost.

"What's the cost of someone's life?" he asked.

Council President Ron Heckman talked about his own experience, pre-OSHA, working one summer at a cast iron foundry. He and his co-workers donned leather gloves they would purchase themselves, and would wrap a wet handkerchief around their faces. By the end of the day, the entire room was a fog. "OSHA changed that," he said. "They actually got masks."

Heckman went on to say that the government often passes laws applying to the private sector, but exempts itself. "I think that stinks," he concluded.

Council member Kevin Lott recounted that he once observed borough workers dig inside a trench about three feet over their head, with no protections. "Our public sector workers are second class citizens," he complained. "You need to set standards."

Northampton County's resolution, which is non-binding, was passed 8-1. The sole No vote was from Council member John Cusick.

Cusick said he "supports worker safety," but the statewide organization representing counties is opposed to this legislation. He suggested that this group, called CCAP, should first be asked to change its platform.

Council member Bill McGee, who introduced this resolution, told Cusick he would contact this county government advocate, which is known as the County Commissioners' Association of Pa.

Tribute to 32 NorCo Retirees Who Passed Away Last Year

Often maligned, most in the public sector workforce are actually very dedicated employees. They are mostly unsung heroes. Elected official will hog the limelight, but they know who's really responsible for plowing your roads and keeping you and your loved ones safe. On the County level, it could be a nurse's aid changing a bedpan or a caseworker investigating abuse. I want to take a moment to honor 32 County retirees who passed away last year.

Sadly, there are a few about whom I know nothing. But there are many more who have very fascinating stories and who touched many people.

Doris Lombardo was one such person. She was in her 70's, but could still go out with the girls on a Friday or Saturday night and enjoy herself. She knew everything, and when she retired, I know a few people who offered her jobs. She was always willing to work with someone about to lose his or her home.I also remember Charles Trapani, a courthouse fixture for many years.

As you go through these names, if you remember something about anyone who passed away last year, please share it in the comments. I will attempt to have Jerry Seyfried pass your remarks along at the semi-annual retiree luncheon on May 10.

Their keynote speaker will be the Hon. Jack Panella, Superior Court Judge of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I once had lunch with him at the courthouse and can still remember all the women swooning over him. He recently became a grandfather. Unfortunately, his grandson was born on February 29, and will only have a birthday once every four years.

RIP

Malcolm Shaffer, 1/3/15 - He was employed as an accountant.

Lois Allen, 1/12/15, - LPN who retired from the County in 1997 after 12 years at Gracedale.

Vincent Ramunni, 2/5/15 - a U.S. Marine, Easton police lieutenant, member of Bach Choir, deeply involved at St. Anthony's.

Pat Repsher, 2/23/15 - LPN who retired from Gracedale after 20 years.

Carol Benn, 2/24/15 - a retired beautician from Gracedale and graduate of Empire Beauty School.

Charles Trapani, 2/26/15 - Army vet, self-employed mason and maintenance worker in Northampton County who retired in 1989.

Alan Fowler, 3/1/15 - He recruited Jerry Seyfried, when they both worked for the Bethlehem Steel, to run for Exec. He founded rock nband Alexander Rabbit and Pickens, where he was the drummer. He was hired to work in the County and made his way through the ranks until he was placed in charge of the county's communications system. Controversial and outspoken, he sued The Bethlehem Globe Times for libel for articles that implicated him in a marijuana-growing operation in Bethlehem Township.

Sandra Donato, 2/18/15 - A graduate of Northampton Community College's nursing program, shewas anurse at Gracedale for 15 years. She passed away at the young age of 52.

David Wood, 3/24/15 - He was nicknamed "Woody" and passed away in an auto accident.

Kathryn Werner, 4/14/15 - She was a graduate of Churchman's Business School.

Vera Sisolak, 5/4/15. - She was the real estate supervisor in Northampton County until her retirement in 1979.

Elizabeth Ace, 7/2/15 - She was a nurse's aid and then a LPN at Gracedale for 40 years.

Dorothy Neuner - 7/17/15. - She had been a dietery aid at Gracedale for 17 years and was a volunteer there as well as a driver for meals-on-wheels.

Betty Buralli, 7/3/15.- She had been the Executive Sec'yto Commissioner and then Executive Marty Bechtel. She retired around 1985 and moved to Florida.

Kathleen O'Connell, 4/16/15. -

Susan Bendus, 6/18/15. - A graduate of St.Luke's School of Nursing, she served this country as a nurse in the Korean War. She then devoted her nursing career to Gracedale, where she retired as a supervisor. She returned to nursing at area hospitals during a polio epidemic.

Pauletta "Pat" Meixsell, 8/23/15. - She worked in Northampton County's HR Department for 25 year and had only recently retired. She was also active in St. John's Lutheran Church in Nazareth.

Doris Lombardo, 8/24/15. - She ran the Sheriff's Sales in Northampton County for 30 years, and had a photographic memory. I could walk up to her with just a last name, and she would know immediately when the sale had occurred and would have the file in my hand. Though she was 78 years old, she was one of the County's hardest and most highly regarded workers.

Jane Schaeffer, 9/9/15. - retired from the laundry department at Gracedale. After her retirement, she came back as a volunteer. She was a graduate of William Allen High School.

Larry Rex, 8/17/15. - An avid outdoorsman who grew up "on the montain," was a Vietnam War vet, worked the railroad and was invilved with the Game Commission.

Elizabeth Lipko, 10/4/15. -

Frances "Fanny" Vogel, 10/4/15. - She was a nurse's aid at Gracedale until her retirement in 1992, and then came back as a volunteer.

Frank Mincavage, 4/24/15. - was a caseworker and had transferred to Lehigh County.

Margaret Brandt, 9/18/15. - a dedicated nurse that served as the STAFF DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR at Gracedale up until her retirement.

Dorothy Hariegle, 10/20/15. - She was a custodian at Gracedale who retired in 1980 and made it to age 100.

Regina Fritchman, 10/14/15. - a 40-year medical assistant at Gracedale who remained very active in St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nazareth.

Barbara Gregalis, 10/23/15. - a LPN at Gracedale for over 25 years.

Donna Bachman, 11/6/5. - a ballerina in her youth, Donna worked in the County's Area Agency on Aging, from which she retired in 2013. She was only 66.

Damon Morrell,10/31/15. - Damon worked 17 years at Gracedale, and then returned as a volunteer like so many others.

Craig Bellis, 12/28/15. - A Vietnam War vet, Bellis served as a corrections officer for 33 years before he retired in 2007.

Barbara Johnson, 11/4/15. - She was a house parent at the Juvenile Justice Center for 25 years.

Peggy Constable, 8/7/15. - a resident of Allentown.

Sandra Erickson. - a nurse at Gracedale who also worked in Staff development.

Controller Steve Barron: Shift Switching Leads to OT Abuse at Jail

An audit report released yesterday by Northampton County Controller Steve Barron reveals a stunning 76.1% overtime (OT) increase since 2004. What's even more amazing, as he revealed during a budget hearing later that day, is that "Lehigh County's around seventy percent. So both counties have seen some struggles."

In Northampton County, Barron has pinpointed most of this increase at the jail, where one lucky corrections officer pulled down $130,764.56 in 2008, even though her base salary is just $46,723. One of the main raises for this increase, according to the audit report, is a practice known as shift switching. This occurs when two guards enter into an arrangement where one calls in sick and the other covers the shift, only to have that favor returned the following week. Amazingly, this practice is tolerated at the Juvenile Justice Center and jail. "I work 32 hours one week, 48 the other, I have 4 additional hours in overtime pay. So if I switch my shift or manipulate it to my advantage, along with a buddy of mine, I get the benefit. I receive more money from my base salary just by switching the shift. So I suck it up one week, I get a break the other, and I make a little bit of money."

Barron hopes to be able to eliminate shift switching with a new time card system going into effect next week. He also noted that, although state law requires daily time records for three years, jail supervisors discarded them, leaving no paper trail to verify what is reported on computers.

At the jail, the percentage of OT to salaries was 13.31% in 2008, and is at 12.2% this year (9/30/09). Since 2004, that percentage is a whopping 15.00%, more than twice the average at other county jails. "Nobody else is even close," noted Barron.

Even more alarming is the increase to deputy sheriffs, up from 4.09% in 2008 to a "staggering" 7.6% as of 9/30/09. According to Barron's audit, "This is an area that could see the largest increase in overtime costs over the course of the year." This is primarily the result of a collective bargaining agreement requiring two deputies for all but the most limited low risk assignments.

County Executive John Stoffa, responding to Barron's report, said that "the overtime issue is not just at the jail, it's everywhere across the County." He's asked Finance Director Vic Mazziotti to lead a committee studying overtime at every department throughout the County. Stoffa is also considering removing OT from department budgets completely. "I think sometimes it should be a separate line item and when you need overtime, you have to come and ask for it."

Never at a loss for words, Council member Ron Angle compared the jail to Alcatraz. "It's an island unto itself." For one thing, the prison has been unable to get a time clock installed for the past ten years, running into one problem after the other. He advised Stoffa, "You need to go out and hire the biggest son of a bitch warden that there is out there, who's known for being a son of a bitch, and pay him whatever you gotta' pay him, and bring him in here and tell him, 'Now listen, you go do what you gotta do.'" He also suggested Council Prez McHale should step down as prison liaison. "You always got an answer as to why whatever they're doing is OK. Maybe we need a new set of eyes over there. You're a great cheerleader for the prison, but are you a great liaison?"