EASTON, Pa. — Northampton County human services employees will not be furloughed next week, union officials said Thursday, but could still receive notice of temporary layoffs at any time.
County officials have not told employees not to show up to work Monday, Service Employees International Union Local 668 President Steve Catanese said, meaning the department will still operate normally.
County Executive Lamont McClure said Thursday that the county likely has funds to hold off a furlough through the end of this year, but he would not rescind a prior notice allowing administrators to impose one with seven days’ notice.
“Very often, at the end of fiscal years and early into the next fiscal year, there are rogue bills that come in out of nowhere that no one foresaw that could change our cash position overnight, so we cannot rescind the furlough notice,” McClure said.
“I do believe we should be able to make it through the balance of the year.”
Between 80% and 100% of each county human service worker’s salary is paid with state dollars.
Since the General Assembly missed its budget deadline in June, counties like Northampton have not received the state reimbursements they rely on to keep paying employees.
Northampton County officials notified the union last month that all of its human service workers could be temporarily out of work starting Oct. 20.
Per the contract between SEIU and Northampton County, officials must notify the union 30 days ahead of any furlough.
After the announcement, McClure said a human services furlough is a possibility, not a sure thing, and his administration would exhaust other means to save money before telling employees not to come to work.
“It’s been torture. Everybody's coming in the morning looking for a letter.”Keezy Johson, chief shop steward for Northampton County’s human services workers
However, though cashflow estimates have improved over the past few weeks, McClure told County Council on Thursday that he could not guarantee human services employees would keep coming to work.
The still-active furlough warning has been hanging over employees like a guillotine as they prepare to potentially go without paychecks indefinitely, said Keezy Johson, the chief shop steward representing Northampton County’s human services workers.
“It’s been torture,” Johnson said. “Everybody's coming in the morning looking for a letter” announcing the furlough, she said.
Union officials have criticized McClure for declining to take a loan to fill the financial gap left by the budget impasse.
The executive said Thursday his position on borrowing money to make up for missing state funds has not changed.
However, McClure will “tee up” such a loan for the next county executive, he said, because both Democratic nominee Tara Zrinski and Republican nominee Tom Giovanni have said they would borrow money if the budget impasse drags into next year.
Zrinski and Giovanni are running to be the next county executive. The election is Nov. 4.
