By Justin Strawser
The Daily Item
SUNBURY — Approximately 35 Northumberland County Prison employees whose pay and benefits were extended in the four weeks since fire destroyed the 139-year-old county lockup have now been laid off.
County Commissioner Stephen Bridy, chairman of the prison board, said Tuesday that Northumberland County was able to retain 20 of the 30 full-time employees and none of the 25 part-timers who were working at the prison Jan. 14 when the blaze started.
Those employees have been retained for record-keeping at the administration center and transportation of prisoners back and forth between the county and Snyder County Jail or state correctional institutions in Muncy and Coal Township. County employees are also overseeing county inmates at the state facilities.
Joe Picarelli, the director of human resources, was unable to be reached Tuesday for further details on the prison employees.
The 55 employees were approved the day after the fire for two to four weeks of salary and benefits depending on their ability to collect unemployment compensation.
Another plan, approved by the commissioners on Feb. 3, to provide an additional two weeks of pay for part-time employees not eligible for unemployment benefits contingent on making themselves available for work in other county departments never panned out, Bridy said.
“It was a good idea that didn’t work out,” he said.
The plan was unable to be finalized with the union representatives. The commissioners had hoped the union would agree not to file any grievances if the prison employees were tapped for temporary work in other county departments, Bridy said.
“We thought the unions would allow it due to the circumstances,” he said. “Even if the union said it was OK, an employee still has the right to file a grievance under the collective bargaining unit.”
Some of the employees were also used for salvaging records and property inside the prison, Bridy said.
Information for all employees who were laid off will be kept on file. They will be the first people to be called when the county has a new facility for its inmates, Bridy said.