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Thursday, January 27, 2000 Page: 3A
Not everyone behaves well.
Fights, bomb threats and drunken patrons at the First Union Arena at Casey
Plaza one night might explode at once.
That’s why quality security is a must.
Airports, government buildings and civic arenas all require strong
commitments to public safety.
Security must remain a priority.
But, at what cost?
Deputy sheriffs work security at the newly christened social hub. Hiring
Luzerne County’s finest seemed like a good idea at the time.
Now, though, arena officials grouse that it costs too much to patrol the
happy bowl.
Although some of those same officials maintain they are pleased with the
deputies and say the deputies seem pleased to work at the arena, a massive
problem is imminent.
Unless deputies agree to less money, officials have made it clear that
they’ll find another way to safeguard patrons who flock to hockey games,
concerts and other arena entertainment.
Since that sounds like a threat to go private, that could spell serious
trouble for loads of people.
Deputies working the arena usually are paid overtime rates ranging from
$16.50 to $20.85 an hour.
The average private security guard earns far less than that.
Most firms would pay their guards half that amount to handle the duties
managed by deputies.
The 40 unionized deputies will vote today whether to accept the pay cut.
How the vote goes will say quite a bit about progress in Luzerne County.
If deputies vote to take a significant cut, will they send a message to
county management that they’re not worth the money they’ve been receiving?
Decision time
If they capitulate, will they appear weak the next time their county
contract comes up for discussion?
Or, will deputies take the reduction, expressing solidarity to the new
public project that could benefit this region for decades to come?
Maybe they’ll just threaten a strike.
Picket lines outside the arena built with strong support from organized
labor would be rather embarrassing.
People close to the negotiations say not to worry, stressing that
everyone’s been amicable since arena authority members recently broached the
subject.
Still, there’s trouble on the horizon.
Mary Ruane wants the job.
The president of Century Security Services said Wednesday she called
Luzerne County Commissioner Tom Makowski as soon as she read about the flap.
Although Makowski hadn’t returned her call as of Wednesday afternoon, Ruane
said she wants to see the contract opened up for public bid.
That would be a first, she said.
Open bids for the security contract did not occur when deputies were
originally hired, Ruane said.
That’s a fact.
Arena authority members did not take bids for arena security.
“I just want the opportunity to bid,” said the businesswoman who already
has the security contract at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
“It should be a fair process.”
The irony is that Ruane’s security guards patrolled the arena during
construction.
Is it right that she and others be frozen out now that the ice is down?
Call Corbett at 829-7215 or e-mail stevec@leader.net.