To The Editor:
In Sunday’s Daily Local News, Commissioner Ryan Costello implied that the Teamsters will be stealing taxpayer money by collecting union dues from Department of Human Services Employees should the employees choose to join Teamsters Local 384.
In making this insinuation, Commissioner Costello is suggesting that all employees, vendors or any person or entity that is paid by the County is stealing simply by collecting their wages, fees or payment for goods and services. This is a huge insult to all County workers AND taxpayers.
Union dues are paid to the union by the members, not the taxpayers. While these hardworking men and women are indeed paid with taxpayer money, what they choose to do with that money is their business. Commissioner Costello and his colleagues have dealt unfairly with the DHS employees, even going so far as to outright lie to them. They have given the DHS employees no choice but to unionize.
If the employees are so undeserving of their wages as to have Mr. Costello consider their salaries theft, are the senior citizens, mentally ill, developmentally disabled and their families and all of those who benefit from the services provided by DHS also stealing? Are the children who often depend upon the Department of Children and Youth Services to keep them safe thieves?
We all benefit from County services, and it would appear that our own Commissioner Costello considers accepting the services to which we are entitled stealing. Well Mr. Costello, I am no thief, nor are my fellow taxpayers, nor are the many hardworking men and women employed by Chester County.
Commissioner Costello’s comments are insulting to the employees at DHS, all County employees and all County taxpayers. Mr. Costello clearly holds ALL OF US in extremely low regard. I urge all Chester Countians to stand with the employees at DHS and support their right to seek fair treatment by joining the Teamsters. I also suggest that we remember Commissioner Costello’s insulting comments come election time.
This entire election has been filled with half truths, intimidation, and outright lies perpetrated by the County and those in our administration at the behest of the commissioners. Mr. Costello’s remarks just further encompass this. The hiring of a big time “Union Buster,” which the county refuses to disclose his official cost, and the attempts to turn front line managers against their workers and even worker against worker is appalling. All the DHS employees are asking for is a voice and fair compensation. One has to question why the County is fighting so hard against this.
William Cloud,
Chester County DHS caseworker
Downingtown
GREAT articles by the Coatesville Times. Kudos to them, for printing the real deal. I hope you all get compensated for the hard work you do everyday. To the proud and happy employee, I am sure you work in IDD administration. As you and everyone knows, it is a different world over there, in comparison to other areas of the GSC. I feel bad that you have to participate no matter what. To the people that work in the other different areas, I say this has been a LONG time coming.
WOW. You are so far off base. I am clearly not an union advocate. But if the union is voted in I will have to take what ever they decide. This was not offered as an open shop. I will be forced to have my hard earned wages taken from me and my family and given to a union rep that earns 120k per year. I will not have any say in it. IT is the UNION and is supporters that are commitimg theft. Again it is the CYF group that is not happy. As far as I am concerned the union group are the bullies in this with their lies and intimidation. If you are so unhappy working in Chester County then look for employment in another county. It is not fair that the group of us that are satisfied with our jobs, will be forced to give up our money to support those of you who are not.
You are correct that it’s mainly a CYF led charge, because it is truly bad over here. We would be more than happy to unionize just ourselves, but the county didn’t offer that as a choice and demanded that all of the agencies be included. Blame them for playing politics.
As for the rest, the wage scale here is set at a rate that almost guarantees continuous turnover. There’s no incentive to apply in ChesCo due to substandard wages, there’s no raises that would provide incentive for us to stay in ChesCo, and there’s no incentive to better our educations in our field because there’s no raises for having a masters/doctorate. This is a problem that goes far beyond my own personal finances. They’re setting this agency up to be continuously staffed by inexperienced employees that have no intention of making a career here, because there is no opportunity to make it one. I will vote union, yes, because it will hopefully increase my paycheck, but mostly because it will allow me to trust that my coworkers are competent, can be trusted to do their jobs, and can be trusted to WANT to do their jobs.
I’m truly sorry if this effects you adversely, and it was never our intent. But I will be voting yes.