Westmoreland Manor employees still working without a contract
After 10 months of working without a contract, the SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania union and Westmoreland County has still not reached an agreement on a new contract.
One of the sticking points is the county’s decision to subcontract out the laundry, housekeeping and dietary services.
Last month, union representatives addressed the commissioners at their meeting and talked about their concerns with subcontracting those services.
“If you go ahead with this, we’re afraid they (the company that takes over the services) won’t be able to take care of our residents in the way they really deserve, the food quality will go down and the rooms will not be clean,” said union representative Susan Luther.
Commissioner Gina Cerilli said that there’s a possibility the county will lose up to $4 million in state funding for Westmoreland Manor.
“We won’t know until October, but even if they lose half of that, it’s a huge loss,” she said. “My main priority is to keep the manor as an asset and we need to be fiscally responsible.”
Cerilli added they will be meeting with mediators on Aug. 25 to continue with negotiations.
In other business at the commissioner’s meeting Thursday, an ordinance was approved for the issuance of an $18.5 million bond issue with the required documents to be filed with the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Currently, just over $8.5 million will be distributed to the general fund for various capital improvement projects, $1 million will be distributed to the Industrial Development Corporation, just over $6 million will be slated for Westmoreland Manor and almost $3 million will go to 911 emergency services.
The bond closing date is set for Sept. 28. Meghan McCandless, director of financial administration for the county, said they are required to spend at least 85 percent of the funds by Sept. 28, 2019.
Commissioners also approved an amendment to the county’s hotel room rental tax ordinance to increase the hotel tax from 3 to 5 percent. Originally, only municipalities with a convention center were allowed to charge the 5 percent hotel tax, but state legislators changed that to allow all municipalities to charge up to 5 percent.
Cerilli said the increase will bring in approximately $800,000 more to the county, which has to be used for marketing and tourism.
While they don’t know specifically where the money will go, the Laurel Highland’s Visitor’s Bureau will see some of it.
“But we don’t just want it to go to the Laurel Valley area, Cerilli said. “We want it to help in other areas of the county as well.”