Scranton's Public Workers Now Paid Minimum Wage

The city of Scranton, Pa., sent out paychecks to its employees Friday, like it does every two weeks. But this time the checks were much smaller than usual. Mayor Chris Doherty has reduced everyone's pay — including his own — to the state's minimum wage: $7.25 an hour.

Scranton has had financial troubles for a couple of decades — the town has been losing population since the end of World War II. But the budget problems became more serious in recent months as the mayor and the city council fought over how to balance the budget.

Doherty wants to raise taxes to fill a $16.8-million gap. The city council wants to take a different approach and borrow money. City council members did not respond to NPR's requests to discuss the dispute.

"I'm trying to do the best I can with the limited amount of funds that I have," Doherty says, "I want the employees to get paid. Our people work hard — our police and fire — I just don't have enough money and I can't print it in the basement."

After paying workers Friday, the city had only about $5,000 left in the bank. More money flowed into city accounts that day, but it was still not enough to pay the $1 million the city still owes to its nearly 400 employees.

Scranton's public workers received a few days' warning this was coming. John Judge, a firefighter and president of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 60, typically receives about $1,500 every two weeks, after deductions. On Friday his check was less than $600 — before deductions.

"Don't know how I'm going to pay bills at home. I may be able to stave it off for a little while," Judge says. "[The] kids aren't going to be able to do certain activities this summer — maybe we're not going to be able to go on vacation."

The firefighters' union, along with the police and public works unions, have taken the city to court. Lackawanna County Judge Michael Barrasse issued an injunction, essentially agreeing with the unions that the city was breaking the law, but Doherty says he doesn't have another choice. Despite the injunction, he had the city send out paychecks based on minimum wage.

The unions plan to be back in court first thing Monday morning to ask the judge to hold Doherty in contempt.

There's been no love lost between Doherty and the public employee unions because of this battle; they've already spent the past decade in a legal dispute over pay that went all the way to the state supreme court. Both sides come to this latest battle with plenty of baggage and hard feelings. But with nearly 400 city workers receiving a fraction of the pay they typically get, pressure is building to resolve the issue soon.

I am sure he was being facetious referencing $3/hr.

But public employees are only truly worth what the market SHOULD bear, not a penny more...if that is not the case then the public’s money is being misspent.

How many states are having difficulties finding people to take the public sector jobs? Any? How many private sector workers get the option to retire mid-50’s with full benefits and health care? WHO pays for the public sector worker’s retirement anyway?

If not, then they are not underpaid

I am sure he was being facetious referencing $3/hr.

But public employees are only truly worth what the market SHOULD bear, not a penny more...if that is not the case then the public’s money is being misspent.

If not, then they are not underpaid

Only people retiring at the upper 50 range are Fireman and Police. Maybe some teachers until the new rules take affect after the baby boomers FINALLY get the hell out of the way. Can’t wait for that day. Complete ruination of this country. Baby Boomers caused more problems than they are worth. Worst generation ever. Anyway I don’t want a 70 year old fireman or policeman....Absolutely not and that is what mr. idiot was basically saying....who can retire making minimum wage? No one. Why do you have all these old folks taking orders at Mc D’s and other places? They can’t live on minimum wage.

Scranton is right on the edge of the Marcellus Shale boom.

It is a natural hub for the energy explosion in Northeast PA, but as others have said taxes have something to do with keeping Scranton from enjoying some of the boom. If you have to pay 3.8% income tax to live within the city limits, that keeps gas company employees who are having a hard time finding rental housing out.

If folks are willing to commute from Hawley to Towanda to work in the hat gas industry, they would be even more willing to do so from Scranton since it is so much closer.

Also if the DRBC would get off its butt and end the moratorium on drilling in parts of Lackawanna and all of Wayne Counties, that might also make a difference.

Stick it! Very few private sector workers get the amazing benefits and working hours of a firefighter. They have it so tough working a whole seven days a month.

They work 24 on 48 off with all having full time jobs on the side where they make as much or more than they do at the public sector trough. They get to retire, often in their forties or fifties, with lifetime income and benefits including health insurance.

In the mean time they are in competition with all the tradesmen and small businesses like carpentry, concrete, construction and often real estate and insurance. They have the advantage of not having to pay for their own benefits like health insurance and retirement and undercut their competition. This takes money out of the average citizens pocket, you know the ones that pay their salary!

The fact is that outside of some large cities, it is highly unlikely that most firemen fight more than one fire a year, if that, and of those many are set for their own training. Yet they constantly put on the mantle of everyday hero as if they where all running up the stairs at the World Trade Center every day they went to work. When in reality they are trading time, padding their overtime and spending most of their time at the firehouse as a spring board for their second jobs and putting in time to retirement.

Enough already! Firemen are no different and often worse than every other public employee. They tend to be extra lazy and remarkably corrupt in their time keeping and their training records.

Like I said MOST firefighters are volunteers. The rest are union goons who use the city they work for and treat the ordinary tax payer like patsies.

As for fighting fires: That is what they are paid to do! Many jobs are dangerous, often some of the most dangerous pay the least amount of money and receive the least amount of respect. When the firefighters start working shifts like everyone else and give up all their part time/full time side jobs, I will start to worry about their pay. Until then they have all those other jobs to supplement their income while the city gets its' finances in order and of course, they lounge around on their lazy boys watching TV and making dinner.

They work 24 on 48 off with all having full time jobs on the side where they make as much or more than they do at the public sector trough.

I agree that the private sector folks make a ton more than the civil servants and you seem to agree too as your sentence above says. The firefighters I know work 24 on and 24 off. Sure they get good bennies which I am glad. The volunteer guys go in when needed (after the fire has started). You may not like firefighters but I sure as heck do. In fact, I wish they would double their pay. I think they are sorely underpaid for what they do. What were YOU doing 9/11 when they were running up into the building to save people? Don’t bother answering, I already know.

‘What were YOU doing 9/11 when they were running up into the building to save people?’

I was doing what 99.99% of all the firefighters in the U.S. where doing. I was watching it on TV.

Your ignorance is incredible. MOST union firefighters make FAR MORE than private sector workers make. Particularly those with as little education as a firefighter has. Remember a GED IS required to become a firefighter! Yet, they receive average compensation in my city of over $65,000. per year and their expense to the city is over $120,000. per year with retirement and benefits.

I am sorry that you feel the need to kiss the ass of firefighters, I do not. I know way too many that are little more than users who take their public sector jobs for granted and feel as if they are somehow entitled to ever increasing incomes and benefits regardless of the circumstances of city budgets and citizens finances.

They also feel no compunction at stealing work from tradesmen who do not have the benefit of government health insurance and pensions allowing for them to undercut their prices and pay. They also feel entitled in trading shifts and overtime padding. Any guess at how many spend the last several years of their careers on disability, often caused by work done OUTSIDE of the fire services, like falling off the back of a cement truck? The stories of firefighters dragging themselves into the firehouse after getting hurt at their side job in order to qualify for Workers Comp and Disability are legion.

Like I said, most are fine people, but MANY are not. Regardless, they are as a whole no more special than your average coal miner, lineman for the electric company, or cellular tower worker. All of whom make as much, or considerably less than a union Firefighter, without the need to be constantly looked upon as heroes.

I actually do agree with you on some of your points. The problem I have with the entire pension system is that everyone had the opportunity to go into any job they wanted at 18 or 22. Some chose to go into the public sector and some went into the private. Now it is years later when the baby boomers are retiring and suddenly because of the over amount of retirees (right now), this whole issue has become a problem where as before it was not the case. Trust me nobody wanted to be in the public sector in the 80’s when everyone was making big bucks on the private sector...Same with the 2000’s...nobody was itching to go into the public sector then either. It is only when the private sector is hurting that it is an issue with pensions. You do have some valid points. Perhaps what they should do is start 401K’s the minute you begin working and have a mandatory 10 percent go into an account that you can have a retirement. Then even people at McD’s will have a penny to spend on retirement. to be honest, I don’t believe that anything will be done. If they decide to do away with pensions and bennies today, it would only effect those starting tomorrow.

That is wishful thinking that those working now will not have their pensions reduced or thrown out all together. We have trillions in unfunded pension plans on the state and local level driven by early retirement and over generous pensions in the first place.

All the rewriting of history about nobody wanting to go into the private sector is ludicrous. it is what public sector workers like to tell themselves when the private sector is in the doldrums.

The average sitting for a police and fire test in Ohio is over 20,000. That is for a test THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR. The last test sat in 2007 in Cleveland. UE was 3.5% and they sat 45,000+ for the test.

They NEVER go begging for employees. Because they are known to be such good jobs!

Here is a little context to my attitude about union firefighters. This is just THIS YEAR from the local newspaper about just the City of Cleveland system. This is rampant at many fire services throughout the country.

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/06/some_cleveland_firefighters_pi.html

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/05/number_of_cleveland_firefighte.html

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/05/some_cleveland_firefighers_wit.html

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/11/cleveland_firefighters_paid_fo.html

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/11/post_541.html

This is the Cleveland Fire Department and They actually fight fires. Most of the suburban departments are every bit as corrupt and almost never fight a fire. for example Westlake Fire Dept. in our County hasn't fought a fire IN WESTLAKE, for close to three years. Some of their firefighters have NEVER fought a fire that wasn't set for training.

I am not saying firemen are not necessary, but they are NOT underpaid. They are no more underpaid than any other career field and often WAY over paid when all benefits and pensions are included. They are the Worlds most expensive insurance policy!

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