Northampton County Council reversed itself Sept. 5 on a pay raise for the county’s probation officers. All nonunion workers received a two percent pay hike at the beginning of the year, but probation officers were in limbo because they were in the middle of decertifying their union. That union was decertified in late January. County administrators proposed a new pay scale, identical to the old pay scale, for probation officers. This included a 2 percent increase. Probation officers wanted it made retroactive to the beginning of the year, like the rest of the county’s nonunion workforce. Though council had previously voted for the increase, they in late August refused to make it retroactive.

Two council members bashed probation officers for leaving the union. These are council members Kevin Lott, business agent for the Carpenters’ Union; and Bill McGee, business agent for the Insulators’ Union.

According to Lott, “ hey made the choice to leave the union and that was their choice ... . They could have stayed [in the union] and got what was offered. Now the employees are coming back six months later and are saying, ‘Forget your budget. We made a choice but we don’t really like that choice’ ... I think there was [sic] some bad choices made by employees here.”

McGee and Lott both said this group of workers would have to live with the consequences of their decision to leave the union.

These union agents were joined by council members Tara Zrinski and Lori Vargo-Heffner, who also opposed making the payraise retroactive.

Council member Matt Dietz was absent when council refused to make the payhike retroactive. He revisited the issue and proposed making it retroactive.

Council Solicitor Chris Spadoni advised that the Home Rule Charter authorizes any Council member to propose a resolution on any matter for any reason.

Voting to do so were Dietz, Peg Ferraro, Ron Heckman, John Cusick and Bob Werner.

Council members Kevin Lott and Bill McGee continued to voted No. Joining them again were Council members Tara Zrinski and Lori Vargo Heffner.

Though council resolutions are nonbinding and can be ignored by the Executive, this one was honored. Executive Lamont McClure directed to make the payraise retroactive, with the money in the county’s most recent payroll run.