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SCHENECTADY
Some crossing guards receiving health insurance perks through city
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    Three of the city’s crossing guards are getting much more than just their $8.65 hourly salary — the city is also paying for half of their health insurance, Director of Administration John Paolino said.
    Schenectady is spending $12,605 on the perk this year, Paolino said.
    Thirty other guards were hired after the city withdrew the benefit, but those who were hired under the original contract get to keep their insurance coverage forever.
    “It’s because of the provisions of the terms and conditions of the contract at the time,” Paolino said.
    The guards pay 50 percent of their insurance during the school year, and 102 percent of the cost in July and August.
    The perk came to light after Councilwoman Denise Brucker proposed increasing the guards’ salary because some of them skip work or sit in their cars in bad weather. Some guards had become so unreliable that police — who hire the guards — sent out a letter recently threatening to fire anyone who can’t be counted on to show up on time and stop traffic while children walk across the street.
    It’s not clear whether the guards with health insurance are more reliable than the others, but Brucker said the obvious way to get no-shows to work would be to offer better compensation.
    “It’s time definitely to increase the salary of those crossing guards,” she said. “It’s reprehensible we’re only paying them $8.50 or whatever — no wonder they’re not showing up.”
    City Council members were surprised to learn that some of the part-time crossing guards have health insurance, but Councilman Gary McCarthy said that pay raises are still needed.
    “That’s a significant benefi t, but for some of the other ones, the compensation may be low,” he said. “My thoughts are adjusting the hourly or daily rate.”
RELIABILITY ISSUE
    Finance committee chair Councilman Mark Blanchfield said the council also needs to analyze the reliability issue thoroughly before discussing any solutions.
    “If they’re not showing up — that’s the issue, not showing up — we have to figure out why,” he said. “There many be an explanation that has nothing to do with wages or benefits.”
    He said a handful of guards could coincidentally be sick on bad-weather days, when police say they get a poor turnout.
    “There’s not that many of them. There could be illness,” Blanchfield said. “Let’s look at the reasons before we march into solutions.”
    Vince Riggi, whose wife is a crossing guard, said guards are skipping work because the pay is too low. He suggested paying the guards at least $12 an hour.
    “I don’t think the pay is enough,” he told the council during a recent privilege of the floor session.
    The guards are not the only part-time city workers to get health insurance. The Schenectady City Council members used to get free health insurance, but they agreed this year to start paying 20 percent of their insurance. They can choose to opt out of the city’s health care system instead.
    Only the council members who faced election and got a raise this year must make the payments. They are: Brucker, King, Joseph Allen and Thomas Della Sala. Mayor Brian U. Stratton also agreed to the new system.

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“It’s time definitely to increase the salary of those crossing guards,” she said. “It’s reprehensible we’re only paying them $8.50 or whatever — no wonder they’re not showing up.”

Is Ms. Brucker kidding? If I didn't show up at my job, they would fire my a**, not give me a raise! And how many hours do they actually work?

Here's an idea...If the city legislature MUST be involved...how about going to the welfare roll and pick some folks and put them to work as crossing guards? I mean they don't even need a high school education for this job. They just need to know how to cross the street and how to carry a STOP sign. Or better yet, where are the parents?

And here's another idea....let each school district be responsible for their own crossing guards in their area. In bused districts, it is up to the school to furnish and maintian the buses...not the government. So in the walking districts, it should be up to each school.

Gee, and to think, Schalmont got rid of all it's crossing guards.  That is after the one that stood in front of Jefferson had a heart attack while he was on the job some time back.  Instead, they'd rather bus ALL kids to school...including ones that live across the street from the school.  They can't tell you what time the bus will be there, but they can tell you that it will be there.

crossing guards used to be volunteers too.....maybe we could ask the walmart greeters to step in????? And yet, we will still complain and say "they should have known. My child deserves a better crossing guard and I pay for it." Well, DO IT YOURSELF THEN......crossing guards are like lettuce pickers.....

http://www.timesunion.com
Marv Cermak

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Cops have some nerve

How about the Schenectady Police Department notifying all school crossing guards they will be fired for excessive absence or leaving assigned posts unattended.
This threat comes from a department where on-duty officers were caught recreating in both Colonie and Scotia. The worst part of the misconduct was they were being paid by Schenectady taxpayers while loafing in other communities.
Unlike the threatened job loss facing crossing guards, you can bet your house the well-paid goofing-off cops won't be terminated. Picking on crossing guards who receive a whopping $17.30 per day is insane.
Also, while the cops were driving police vehicles to play, the crossing guards must pay for gas to get to work.
In order to earn their pittance, crossing guards must work one hour when school starts in the a.m. and another when school closes in the p.m. This split shift effectively ties up much of the day. Job appeal is so lousy there is only one spare guard.Increased pay might draw more and better candidates. That's the tune politicians play when they give fat raises to their pals and create plum jobs for party hacks.

And what color was the kettle?????? Who was calling the kettle???hhhmmmm