Lehigh County Board of Commissioners July 26 approved additional extensions to the Temporary Wage Increase for certain employees with the Department of Corrections, Cedarbrook Senior Care and Rehabilitation, as well as within the 911 Communication Center.

Prior to the votes, the board heard directly from correctional officers about realities and needs they believe need be addressed before the situation worsens.

In a letter to County Executive Phillips Armstrong, dated June 28, Director of Corrections Janine Donate asked, to continue a temporary compensation of $120 for 40 hours worked in a week for unit staff and uniformed supervisors. This is a decrease from the $200 which was offered back in 2022, under similar conditions.

Union President Jim Irwin, representing corrects officers, told commissioners, there are too few COs. “We have 135 current officers but at the end of the month, we will probably be down to 130. Just this month, we’ve had nine leave.”

Irwin explained the lack of sufficient COs has led to both mandatory and volunteered overtime. “This weekend, Friday to Sunday, we had 48 mandatory overtimes. That’s not including the people who volunteered for overtime. That’s 48 people, Friday to Sunday, that were forced to stay there. Right now, they are being mandated, each and everyone of them, almost twice a week.”

Irwin concluded that this issue would continue to be examined by the Board and Director of Corrections Janina Donate.

Irwin’s views were backed by a correctional officer attending virtually, identified solely as “Chad,” who said, “it’s crazy how, like Jim said, we are closing different units, cutting staff here, we’re cutting positions here, we’re cutting positions there. It’s a safety issue for inmates, for staff, and we can turn around and say this compensation isn’t working so let’s cut. That’s not the answer.”

The temporary wage increase covers the period of July 16 Oct. 13.