Budget cuts..... State nurses earn minimum wage?

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jul 10, 2012

That minimum wage is for MUNICIPAL city workers in Scranton which is broke...

Scranton Workers See Pay Slashed To Minimum Wage

A fight between political leaders in Scranton, Pa., has left each and every city employee earning $7.25 an hour — minimum wage.
Last week Mayor Chris Doherty slashed pay, on his own, saying Scranton had run out of money. Lackawanna County Judge Michael Barrasse issued an injunction telling the city it must recognize pay rates spelled out in union contracts. But Doherty continues to violate that court order.
...Scranton has had financial troubles for a couple decades now. A troubling mix of declining population since World War Two and economic hard times has stretched city finances. The mayor and city council have debated since last fall over how to fill a $16.8 million budget gap.
Doherty wants to increase taxes. The council wants to find other sources of revenue — such as payments from tax-exempt non-profits like local universities.
"If they'd gone with my budget, we wouldn't be having this discussion," says Mayor Doherty. "The taxes would have been raised. The bills all would have been paid because we would have had a dedicated revenue stream....
Without an agreement, the city faces a cash-flow crisis. Last week, even after paying only minimum-wage salaries, the city had just over $5,000 left. More money has since come in, but not nearly enough to pay the estimated $1 million still owed to workers.

PennyWise · Jul 10, 2012

Ha ha ha

If wages at my hospital were cut to minimum wage, I'd stick around just long enough to see if the "nurse with a calling" types really were as called to the profession as they claim to be.

We all float down here.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

Ha ha ha
If wages at my hospital were cut to minimum wage, I'd stick around just long enough to see if the "nurse with a calling" types really were as called to the profession as they claim to be.
We all float down here.

I love nursing, but for minimum wage I'd rather work at Target, where my mistakes mean little. I'd rather be a nurse, and not just for the money, but minimum wage is not worth the responsibility.

chevyv, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

I'm not sure even the best health insurance would keep me at a minimum paying job. I really would hate to have to call fire fighters that work for minimum wage. My house would burn to the ground before they showed up.

I would also be applying at anyone of the low paying jobs where I can screw up and it wouldn't mean life or death. Me thinks that the mayor is crazy to think the way he is.

Also, why is it that the first thing they think will save the county is to cut wages? It seems that there needs to be an overhauling of the budget not just wages of county/state employees.

Maremma · Jul 10, 2012

Wow! That is some scary stuff right there! I can't even pay the school loans back to keep my license much less eat if they do this to us too. I would go right back to my old job making 11.00 an hour and be forced to stiff them on the school loans.

BabyRN2Be · Jul 10, 2012

I heard about this in Scranton. The mayor was wrong for what he did and I hope that he will be held in contempt of court for what he did to the fire fighters. SMH

DizzyLizzyNurse · Jul 10, 2012

Ha ha ha
If wages at my hospital were cut to minimum wage, I'd stick around just long enough to see if the "nurse with a calling" types really were as called to the profession as they claim to be.
We all float down here.

:rotfl:

I'd be GONE.

I wonder if the mayor is taking a pay cut?

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

I would definitely be out looing for a living wage.

I wonder how things will play out. Yikes!

beeker · Jul 10, 2012

Hope Scranton likes having no fire fighters or police officers. I hope they all quit and they mayor can deal with that.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Jul 11, 2012

If any city is *that* screwed up, the federal and/or state government should be allowed to take over and administer the city directly.

And forget about nurses working for minimum wage! What nurse in his right mind would work for 7.50 an hour?? What's the point? I won't get out of bed for less than 20 an hour.

Twinmom06, ASN, APN · Jul 11, 2012

I live 2 minutes from Scranton, and yes the mayor and city council also took the pay cut...the firefighters were actually laid off earlier this year (Doherty closed several fire houses) and after 2 separate fires that took over 20 minutes to respond to he reinstated them immediately...

the city has had "distressed" status since I was in high school in 1992 - it has nothing to do with nurses as none of the hospitals in Scranton (or Lackawanna county for that matter) are county run hospitals - the 2 main hospital systems (Commonwealth Health Services and Geisinger) are both privately owned...

Scranton's money has been mishandled for decades (dating to way before the distressed status) and both the Tax Office and Scranton Parking Authority have been recently investigated...

it should also be noted that Lackawanna county is seeing a 68% tax increase this year in property taxes...my taxes went from $2300 per year to $3000 per year - and that's only because I live out side of Scranton - not within city limits

ETA - there are several large universities in Scranton that are Catholic and Jesuit owned, and they pay NO taxes at all on any of their buildings or dorms...