To the Editor,
If you were among the people that attended this month’s County legislative meeting you were witness to some very very sad news. During the public comment period a very very brave group of DSS workers took to the podium to bring their issue forward in a public setting.
Little did they know that the only people that would really hear their words and feel their pain were non-legislators. Over the course of at least 8 years, I have been witness to some of the most pathetic means of trying to solve a issue without really solving the issue.
When I was in my first year as a Legislator I was confronted with a request that the workers at DSS were leaving at an alarming rate. I asked where to and why? I was told they were leaving to go to Onondaga County DSS for higher wages. I asked the Director of the DSS what was the difference between our rate of pay and that of Onondaga County, I never got an answer.
The first attempt at solving the issue of the DSS workers leaving was buying them all new computers and computer system, at a costs of close to $1 million dollars. This will make them happy, not money in their pocket.
The second attempt was to buy them laptop computers for them to use in the field. That again was a large price tag. This will make them happy, not money in their pocket.
The third attempt was to assign a computer specialist to the DSS campus. This will make them happy, not money in their pocket.
The fourth and final attempt was, let’s buy two houses and tear them down and put in a parking lot at a cost of close to half a million dollars. They need parking not money in their pocket.
So over the course of eight years they have spent a lot of money in an attempt to stop the migration of DSS workers leaving the Oswego county DSS department.
The one and only thing these workers are asking for is Equal pay as their counter parts in other counties. Counties that are smaller pay a higher rate of pay. They are not asking for an arm and a leg they are only asking for what is fair.
Oh the really sad news is that the DSS workers have been working without a contract for almost a year now.
The county Legislature can pass a budget with raises for themselves and department heads but no money for the rank and file.
Well when all is said and done, the Legislature keeps saying NO MONEY FOR YOU!
Frank Castiglia Jr.
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Frank, maybe you can get somr money from the teachers union in Oswego. They just signed an agreement that allows the district to pay up to 15 dollars a day to “livesteam” to quarantined students. Yep already teaching, no extra planning, just turn on a camera and they think that deserves more pay. At the high school they complain they don’t have enough monitors, they can’t put their phone on the public wifi and on and on. Maybe the county should audit some of the ways funds are being paid. Maybe a foil request of the union president’s emails about this stuff would be insightful. We need more dss workers and they deserve to get paid.
Frank you are on point about this! The legislators will give significant raises to the Sheriff’s Department but not the other county departments. (primarily men) It is sad that we have county employees with college degrees working full-time jobs and STILL qualifying for SNAP benefits. Let’s give them a living wage! The county can give $500,000 to a privately run hospital but not their own employees. Investing in your workforce is a win-win for the county. These are the people who provide necessary services AND they are also the people who spend money in Oswego County!