EASTON, Pa. — In a bid to get more staff for Northampton County’s Juvenile Justice Center, court administrators moved to eliminate certain jobs and create new supervisor positions at a county council committee meeting Wednesday, setting up a possible clash with the employees’ union.
- Court Administrator J. Jermaine Greene Sr. introduced a proposal to cut 20 youth care worker jobs at the county's Juvenile Justice Center, and create 13 assistant supervisor positions
- The union representing the youth care workers argues the new supervisors should be part of their bargaining unit. Greene disagrees
- County Executive Lamont McClure called the proposal "union-busting" and said it ran afoul of state and federal law
The center has been critically understaffed for more than a year, forcing officials to turn away kids from outside Northampton County seeking a bed in the facility’s treatment or detention programs. Employees have been subject to mandatory overtime in order to keep accepting kids from Northampton County.
Court Administrator J. Jermaine Greene Sr. previously told council that in order to increase the number of staff, salaries had to rise for youth care workers, the front-line employees responsible for children in the center’s care.
The county has been locked in a lengthy dispute with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) over new contracts for youth care workers.
Greene has long pushed for higher pay for youth care workers. After reaching an impasse, negotiators for the union and the county are set to bring the dispute before an arbitrator.
“The fix is in. They don't want to pay these people. The union's not working hard enough to pay these people,” Greene told council. “That’s why I’m before this council. I’m doing the union’s job.”
AFSCME representative Jim Irwin did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
At the county council committee meeting, Greene introduced a request for council to remove 20 youth care worker positions and add 13 new jobs for assistant supervisors in the juvenile justice center.
Greene argued the new manager positions should not be part of an AFSCME bargaining unit.
"The fix is in... I know what's going on around here, OK? And it's personal."Court Administrator J. Jermaine Greene Sr.
“These people are not to be in the union. They are going to be supervising youth care workers. They're going to be overseeing their work,” he said. “If the union disagrees with me, they can file unit clarification with the Pennsylvania [Labor] Relations Board.”
'Union-busting'
According to a letter Greene says he received, union officials do, in fact, disagree, and have accused him of attempting to interfere with employees’ rights to organize.
County Executive Lamont McClure said Greene’s “union-busting” ran afoul of state and federal labor laws.
“It's not very complicated. He's trying to eliminate union positions,” said McClure. “Unfortunately, the National Labor Relations Act and the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act does not permit the action which he is trying to entice council to take.”
Addressing a memo she authored, the county’s director of human resources, Mary Lou Kaboly, urged the county officials to sit down with the union and work out a solution. Council’s solicitor, Christopher Spadoni, endorsed that suggestion.
Such negotiations would ultimately prove fruitless, Greene argued.
“Like I said, the fix is in. They’re not going to agree to that,” he said. “I know what's going on around here, OK? And it's personal. I don't like it.”
County council has broad control over salaries for employees not covered by a union. Salaries for bargaining unit members are decided through negotiations with the county executive and union representatives.
Council is set to vote on the proposal at its upcoming meeting Thursday night.
