Newspaper Page Text
: From Disgruntled Nurses, Board Member
Houston Hospital Authority
Salary Raises Draw Fire
An air of tension and angry
feelings pervaded the Houston
County Hospital Authority
meeting in Warner Robins
Monday night. The cause of all
the unusual atmosphere was a
room rate increase made for
two reasons - to help the
hospitals reach a break-even
point, and to give employees
pay raises.
■ Disgruntled nurses and
Authority member Dr.
Wentford Spears lashed out at
the pay increases, obviously
feeling they were too little - too
late. Os particular note by
Spears was the fact the
Au wity took no action on
proposed merit-tenure raises
for the two hospitals’ nursing
services.
Hospital Authority Chair
man L.A. McConnell ignited
the stormy hour long debate
when he began, “At our
regular meeting three months
ago, the Authority finance
IMPACT In Doubt
“Uncle Sam ” To
End Houston Aid
The Houston County Board
of Education isn’t expecting
100 much help from the
federal government in run
ning their school system -- at
least, not much assistance in
helping pay the bills, anyway.
Only $6f8,120 in federal IM
PACT funds is budgeted in the
,1974-75 proposed county school
budget.
»>i past years the federal
fairaing agencies have con
tributed fairly heavily to
Houston County in assisting
with the education of the
"county’s children. But
beginning about three years
ago, the Nixon administration
has begun an increasing
cutback in IMPACT funding -
from a high of over three
million dollars a few years ago
to just over a million this year.
The school board did
however receive a “bonus" of
about a million dollars in
unexpected federal IMPACT
funds early this spring. This
pushed this year’s total to
$1,375,088 for 1973-74 and at the
same time prevented a deficit
budget for the county school
system this year.
“Unrealistic”
>
Casey Knocks
Millage Rate
Perry City Councilman Henry Casey strongly
questioned the wisdom of subsequent Council
action Thursday night of setting the 1974-75 fiscal
year tax millage rate at 13 mills. He also
disagreed with the raises granted to city em
ployees, saying “they’re not really cost of living
raises.”
In regard to the pay hikes, Casey considered the
5.5 percent increases too low. He said, “The thing
that really concerns me is that things are going
sky-high in prices these days.”
Casey was openly skeptical of Council being
able to operate the city at the authorized budget
and millage rate. He stated, “Fd rather be
realistic and set a realistic rate than be forced to
come up and say - we need more money, where
are we going to get it?” Casey also said that he
thought the contingency fund - money held in
reserve for “emergencies” - was too low.
|At an “unofficial” council meeting, held
Wednesday night of last week, the city governing
body met for several hours, drawing up the
coming year’s budget. At that meeting, Casey
proposed a ten (10) percent wage hike for all city
employees - but found no one in agreement with
him. Then he lowered his proposal to “a com
promise at eight (8) percent” but Casey said, “No
one would agree with that.”
committee advised us they
were going to conduct an in
depth study of the two
hospitals. They said they were
going to make basic ad
justments in charges made by
some departments to bring
them in line, and try to put
them on a break-even basis.”
He continued, “The per
sonnel committee surveyed
each job series, and compared
them to normal pay scales of
the West Central Council, of
which we are members. They
recommended pay raises in
jobs out of line. We last did
this in 1969.”
He then said, “We looked at
shift differentials, call-back
pay, and decided to make
adjustments on them. They
also recommended a cost of
living increase for all em
ployees of 5.5 percent.”
McConnell said that the
total cost of all pay increases,
plus the adjustment to insure
IMPACT funds have always
previously been well treated
by Congress, but President
Nixon has twice “impounded”
Congressionally appropriated
funds simply by refusing to
open the purse strings. Each
time, however, he has finally
and reluctantly, edged open
the purse enough to allow
some funds to filter down to
county school systems.
School Superintendent
David Perdue Tuesday
morning gave the Houston
school board a progress report
on current Congressional
action in regards to all federal
education programs. He said
that “Congress is in session
this week, trying to get the
Senate to go along with the
House version of the IMPACT
bill."
The House version simply
extends for three years all
current IMPACT ap
propriations. It is House Bill
69, and was passed by the
House of Representatives on
March 28.
The Senate bill, S.B. 1539,
was passed by that body on
May 20. It was co-sponsored
hospitals breaking even,
totaled about $250,000. He
noted that “cost of living in
creases could NOT have been
given before April 23 of this
year because of federal wage
controls.
McConnell then raised
eyebrows by stating that the
hospital administrators
(Beverly Chester, Max Poole,
and Charles Hall) were to
submit a “merit-tenure” plan
for implementation within 90
days. The Houston hospital
nurses have made no secret
the fact that they wanted the
1972 tenure raise system
reinstituted.
McConnell continued,
saying that “in view of further
departmental studies, the
finance committee at their
last get-together decided to
make all pay increases effect
retroactively to June 1.” He
then outlined room rate in
creases (see another article in
by Perryan Sam Nunn. It
extends for one year the old
formula. Then the formula is
revised.
Revisions are to include;
“c" children played into “A”
or “B" categories; a 90 per
cent hold harmless for “B”
children; school districts with
25 percent “A” children to
receive 100 percent en
titlement - others to receive
only 90 percent of entitlement;
and (he establishment of a
differential payment rate for
“B" children.
School Superintendent
Perdue received a letter from
State School Superintendent
Jack Nix with the above in
formation on May 18. Nix
predicted that the Congress
would probably just pass a
“Continuing resolution’’
authorizing the same federal
expenditures as in the past.
But the school board is
cautious, and hasn’t budgeted
any funds except for “A”
category children.
Public Law 874 - the IM
i PACT aid law - is meant to
federally assist those counties
with military installations. Os
course, federal territory is not
taxable, so the theory goes
that the federal government
should contribute toward the
education of children of the
federal employees.
"A" category children are
those of military personnel
who both live at and work on
the Air Force base. “B“
category is those children of
federal employees at Robins -
living on or off base.
Both Senators Sam Nunn
and Herman Talmadge are
outspoken advocates of the
IMPACT program So is
Congressman Jack Brinkley.
Jtkk /
David Perdue
this week’s Home Journal).
Dr. Wentford Spears blasted
the pay increases, saying. "I
don't think we will be an
swering the problem. We are
not being lair to our ex
perienced nurses. If this
merit-tenure plan needs more
study, we need another
authority!"
Refusing to yield the floor to
McConnell, who started to
comment, Spears continued,
“The average salary of our
nurses compares very un
favorably with our semi
skilled employees. And our
highest paid nurses make
little more than hospital
technicians.”
“THE WORST MISTAKE
EVER MADE”
He stated, “We had a tenure
raise program in effect in
1969, but it stopped in 1972. We
are losing our nurses. What we
arc recommending is good as
far as it goes. But other ad
vancements are just not
sufficient for our experienced
nurses. We are not answering
their objections. If we pass
this tonight I believe it will be
one of the worst mistakes ever
made. It is to say no to
reasonable requests!”
Spears then moved to
modify a motion on the floor to
implement the pay raises and
room rate increases. He
wanted to add the im
plementation of tenure raises
“on the same basis as before”.
Spears also wanted to set up
a merit-tenure raise system
that would apply to the top
ninety percent of the nursing
services. He said that im
mediate supervisors could
recommend their employees
for the raises.
A prolonged silence filled
the room when Spears made
his motion. It subsequently
died for lack of a second, but
before it died, admitted
discussion look place. (This is
supposedly illegal according
to Roberts Rules of Order.)
McConnell stated, “I might
mention on the salaries, that
apparently you're talking
about the old and not the new.
We’re right with the Macon
hospitals with the increases.
This is the first time since I’ve
been on the Authority.”
He added, “We’re going to
get a plan in here to us within
90 days. Up until now, the
Authority was not really sure
what we were talking about on
merit or tenure. And neither
were you, isn’t that so?”
He said, “It takes time to
work some of these things out.
II is not simple. Who’s going to
evaluate who? It was never
documented, never firm.”
Personnel committee head
Hugh Beatty of Perry agreed,
“I’d like to say a few words
relative to the recom
mendations of the personnel
committee. We tried to give
people out-of-line of the most
increase. We turned it over to
the finance committee and
they needed time to raise the
revenue. Correct me if I’m
wrong, but 1 think we are
utilizing every cent of all our
rate increases. When some
more proposals are made,
some more raises must
come.”
Beatty continued, "I hope
the character of the people
involved will let them work
with us till we can get
something that won’t be a
false promise. This affects the
entire community.”
He added, “We didn’t make
any money last year. We've
got to have money to make
raises. Making other raises
tonight would be like passing a
bill, then not funding it. That’s
as simple as I know how to put
it."
Spears spoke up. “I
recognize it’s in good faith.
But in good faith it is wrong.
You assumed we cannot af
ford it. We cannot afford not
to.”
After further discussion,
things were brought to a head
and one of the Authority
members asked Attorney
George Kushinka if the motion
by Spears could now be
seconded, for discussion
purposes. He replied, “I don’t
know You’ve already
deviated so much.”
In ensuing talk, it became
clear that Spears' merit
tenure plan was to apply only
to the nursing services. Other
Authority members wanted a
plan to apply to all employees.
One nurse in the audience said
that “it is grossly unfair to
blame room rate increases on
the nurses.” She said that
other salaries were being
raised, and part of the in
crease in room rates was to
“get the hospitals out of the
red."
McConnell mentioned that a
Macon reporter had "quoted
me throughout an article on
Sunday and 1 haven’t even
talked to him. Conversations
The Houston County Commission has slated
1974-75 county budget hearings to begin next
Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in Warner Robins. The
Commissioners are faced with chopping about
$300,000 off the total departmental requests in
order to keep the county millage rate at 10 mills.
In Macon
License Case
Goes To Court
The wife of a convicted
moonshiner was denied
issuance of a beer and wine
license for a business at the
intersection of Highways 127
and 247 in Kathleen. Mrs.
Alice Knight, wife of Terrell
Knight, filed suit against the
Houston County Com
missioners. A hearing has
been set for 9:30 A.M. Friday,
June 14.
Walker D. Burke, county
attorney, filed a three-page
letter on behalf of the com
missioners. The trial date,
initially set for May 17, was
set by Judge Wilbur Owens.
'4eSsm,%
“George T.” In Perry
Georgia gubernatorial candidate George T. Smith (L) was in Perry Tuesday
morning, speaking to the Perry Kiwanis Club. Pictured with him is Kiwanian
Jim Geiger.
that have never taken place I
cannot defend.”
A listener said that the
newspaper could be made to
retract false statements, but
McConnell commented that
“you know where they would
put it too, back there on the
“funny papers”.”
After further discussion,
Spears’ motion to amend
Authority member James
Stubbs' original motion was
voted. Spears was the only
member to vote for his
motion.
The motion by Stubbs then
passed, with all members
except Spears voting in favor,
Spears cast no vote, cither aye
or nay.
Long Nights Ahead
The denial, the letter stated,
was “in accordance with the
law permitting them (the
commissioners) discretion in
granting permits for sale of
beer and wine.”
Mrs. Knight contends the
county acted illegally when
they voted April 2 to deny her
a request for a license. Some
22 residents of Kathleen ap
peared before the board at the
meeting to protest the license
request.
Her husband, Terrell
Knight, had applied for a
license at the same location
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS., JUNE 13, 1974,
BPP*. s Pm
Houston Hospital Authority member Sherrill
Stafford chalks out the Houston hospitals’
financial picture at Monday night’s Authority
meeting in Warner Robins. A disgruntled crowd
attended the meeting, openly pngry and disap
pointed because no “immediate” merit-tenure
benefits were given to county nurses. Stafford
explained that the merit-tenure idea was being
explored and that a decision would be made within
90 days as to its final form.
Left to right are: Assistant County Clerk Lamar
Brown, County Clerk Sonny Watson, Com
missioner Steve Byrd, Commissioner Charles
Carter, Commission Chairman Frank Rozar, and
Commissioner Alton Tucker.
about two months before her
denial but later withdrew the
application alter learning of
the county ordinances against
granting licenses to persons
with a criminal record.
Terrell Knight has been
convicted on several liquor
offenses in the past.
Houston County Sheriff
Cullen Talton recommended
the license be denied, Talton
said her request was “just a
front for Terrell.”
Routine commission policy
is to follow the recom
mendation of the sheriff.
Pop Plecisers
New
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brilliance.
Casual elegance
by Koblee.
A moccasin type
siip-on finished
in a new and
more brilliant,
shining patent,
and sporting a
slightly taller heel.
Black
Or
V /
CRUMPTON'S
SHOES
GRANT PLAZA
Warner Robins
& Macon
Patent refers to uppers
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