Scranton mayor slashes pay for all city workers—to Min Wage

[jeninflorida]

Cash-strapped Scranton, Pa., has slashed pay for all city employees—including police and firefighters—to minimum wage, sparking furor among unions that now say they plan to sue in federal court.

A lawyer representing three unions told Scranton's Times-Tribune he will file several motions, including one to hold Mayor Chris Doherty in contempt of court for violating a judge's order to pay full wages.

The lawyer, Thomas Jennings, said he also expects to file a pair federal lawsuits on behalf of the unions—International Association of Firefighters Local 60, the Fraternal Order of Police E.B. Jermyn Lodge 2 and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 2305—alleging the city failed to pay proper wages and overtime, and cut benefits for disabled police and firefighters without a proper hearing.

"Pick a law," Jennings told the Times-Tribune. "They violated it."

Last week, Doherty abruptly cut pay for all 398 city employees to $7.25 per hour, saying it was the only way to keep Scranton solvent.

According to the paper, Scranton—which faces a $16.8 million budget deficit—had $133,000 in cash on hand as of Monday, but owed $3.4 million in various vendor bills, including health insurance.

Roger Leonard, a city employee, told NPR he typically gets a $900 check for two weeks of work. On Friday, it was $340.

"I have two children and a wife, and my wife is a stay-at-home mom," Leonard told NPR. "If the savings gets drained, we won't be OK."

The mayor, meanwhile, blamed the City Council for Scranton's financial woes.

"If they'd gone with my budget, we wouldn't be having this discussion," Doherty said. "The taxes would have been raised. The bills all would have been paid because we would have had a dedicated revenue stream."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/scranton-minimum-wage-city-police-firemen-140229063.html


When there is no money, what does one do? Scarey times for EVERYONE

 

[busybody..]

pay is still too high

should all be volunteers

 

[Ham Murabi]

Hope that lawyer wins so the city can write a bunch of checks employees can't cash.
That'll show 'em.

 

[koalabear]

The lawyer gets his cut first.

 

[busybody..]

no $$ to pay PO LEECE

big $$$ to pay LAWYERS

 

[badbabysitter]

I'm wondering if the Mayor gave himself minimum wage too


somehow, I doubt it

 

[Sean Renaud]

I wonder if it was time for that city to die. It's gonna be a ghost town in the next year or so if something doesn't change.

 

[semen4her]

I'm wondering if the Mayor gave himself minimum wage too


somehow, I doubt it

No, he's probably rich.

The wealthy are protected in America.

They even have half the population brainwashed into believing it is fair.

Every day I log onto lit I am thankful for being born a Canadian!

 

[coachdb18]

Hope that lawyer wins so the city can write a bunch of checks employees can't cash.
That'll show 'em.

Wish I could see their faces when they also see the tax increases they'll be getting too... all to support the 'collective' .... Big government is so wonderful, isn't it!

 

[jeninflorida]

I'm wondering if the Mayor gave himself minimum wage too


somehow, I doubt it

That is a very good question and like you said most political leaders exempt themselves from the pain the rest of us are feeling

 

[Sean Renaud]

That is a very good question and like you said most political leaders exempt themselves from the pain the rest of us are feeling

A good chunk of this pain is because people like you like hurting us. We could have dodged this entirely with little difficulty.

 

[coachdb18]

That is a very good question and like you said most political leaders exempt themselves from the pain the rest of us are feeling

ALL salaries were cut...

 

[TexasWife25]

Yes I know this is a fap worthy conservative story, who doesnt love to hear about union workers/government employees getting slashed .. however ...


If the city workers have a contact,isnt the mayor in breech of it? And would you all be cheering if instead of government employees this was a private business who one day said "sorry, im having some issues paying my bills so even though you all agreed to work for x, im only going to pay you y".

 

[jeninflorida]

ALL salaries were cut...

Wow, if that is true that is amazing. We need more political leaders like him

 

[unregistered]

 

[chillywilly2]

A town with only 398 employees, I doubt he is a full time Mayor.

Better get Bronzy in there...he will make everybody pay more taxes.

 

[TexasWife25]

ALL salaries were cut...

I highly doubt he included himself in that. It was nice that he just abruptly cut everyone's salary,because its not like city workers are regular people living pay check to pay check.

 

[chillywilly2]

Yes I know this is a fap worthy conservative story, who doesnt love to hear about union workers/government employees getting slashed .. however ...


If the city workers have a contact,isnt the mayor in breech of it? And would you all be cheering if instead of government employees this was a private business who one day said "sorry, im having some issues paying my bills so even though you all agreed to work for x, im only going to pay you y".

When a company does that, its called bankrupcy and the only way to get out of it is to get more investors. I guess the city needs more investors, err, taxpayers.

 

[jeninflorida]

Yes I know this is a fap worthy conservative story, who doesnt love to hear about union workers/government employees getting slashed .. however ...


If the city workers have a contact,isnt the mayor in breech of it? And would you all be cheering if instead of government employees this was a private business who one day said "sorry, im having some issues paying my bills so even though you all agreed to work for x, im only going to pay you y".

So, you have never worked in the private sector or been responsible for the bottom line. Shall the mayor start planting "money" trees and they can use that to fill in the budget gap?

 

[BotanyBoy]

I highly doubt he included himself in that. It was nice that he just abruptly cut everyone's salary,because its not like city workers are regular people living pay check to pay check.

Yes I know this is a fap worthy conservative story, who doesnt love to hear about union workers/government employees getting slashed .. however ...


If the city workers have a contact,isnt the mayor in breech of it? And would you all be cheering if instead of government employees this was a private business who one day said "sorry, im having some issues paying my bills so even though you all agreed to work for x, im only going to pay you y".

Mother nature is winning....no money left in those veins, time to move on to the big city life and join the others in the blood letting. I'm sure they will find jobs with fair pay out in CA, they are doing so well with their social program spend-o-thon.

 

[jeninflorida]

I wonder if it was time for that city to die. It's gonna be a ghost town in the next year or so if something doesn't change.

There we go, so you give up and quit. Thank you for showing your true colors.

 

[coachdb18]

I highly doubt he included himself in that. It was nice that he just abruptly cut everyone's salary,because its not like city workers are regular people living pay check to pay check.

By the end of June, reality finally set it. Scranton had $3.8 million in unpaid bills including $2 million in past due health insurance premiums. The city had a $16.8-million shortfall in its budget. There was just $5,000 in the city’s payroll account

 

[Sean Renaud]

There we go, so you give up and quit. Thank you for showing your true colors.

Yes we give up and quit. Which is no different from what your suggesting.

 

[jeninflorida]

Yes we give up and quit. Which is no different from what your suggesting.

I'm sorry but I don't quit. Life is hard, we work harder.

 

[Sean Renaud]

I'm sorry but I don't quit. Life is hard, we work harder.

And I'm smart and American. If something isn't working we let it go. There are plenty of dead cities out there. If this city is supposed to die let it.