Bumping, Job Descriptions Need Addressing in Galloway Township

Galloway Township has two issues that need tackling: job descriptions and the idea of the “bumping” clause in employees’ contracts.

Both issues were brought to light during Tuesday night’s Galloway Township Council meeting.

The issues arose were raised by Fire Chief Ron Garbutt and a large contingent volunteer firefighters that packed council chambers Tuesday night.

The situation concerned one employee that was recently forced out of her position as land use administrator, and exercised the option to “bump” in her contract. The bump would place her in a new role, the Fire Department administrator’s assistant, a role that is currently filled.

No names were used because no employee had been served a Rice notice that their job would be discussed at this meeting.

Bumping is the process by which employees recently removed from their position, based on seniority, may apply for another job in the township.

The person exercising the bumping option in this instance would be forcing a qualified person out of their current job.

Part of the “bumping” process is that the person exercising the option must be qualified for the position they are seeking. What qualifies a person falls under the issue of job descriptions, which brings on a quagmire of issues all its own.

“We have job descriptions right now for jobs that don’t even exist,” Mayor Keith Hartman said. “ … We need to make sure job descriptions are accurate. We need to take a better look at that.”

As different people have brought different skills and qualities to their positions over the years, jobs have evolved.

Additionally, due to contraction, employees have had to take on additional duties, and the result is people performing duties that are in no way related to the job they were hired to do.

An evaluation of job descriptions is long overdue, officials said.

“We have problems,” Deputy Mayor Don Purdy said. “ … It’s happening throughout the whole township. People are doing other people’s jobs.”

It’s an issue that the department heads would have to handle, under the supervision of Acting Township Manager Steve Bonanni.

In the case raised Tuesday night, the employee currently serving as Fire Department administrator assistant requested the description for their job be changed on more than one occasion, but was assured it would never be an issue, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Michael Brandenberger.

However, it has become an issue, and Hartman expressed dissatisfaction with the entire idea of “bumping” to begin with. He pointed to it as something that would have to be addressed during ongoing negotiations with the unions.

“I don’t want to see it in any contracts,” said Hartman, who acknowledged there have been issues with “bumping” at least twice in recent years.

He spoke of a situation in which one person exercising their “bumping” right may set off a chain reaction of bumps. Multiple people could end up in positions completely unrelated to their original job.

“There’s no logic,” Hartman concluded. “It doesn’t serve the taxpayers or the employees well. It’s a failed policy, and I hope the unions see that. The clause serves no purpose.”

Members of the Fire Department hope the unions see the lack of logic in “bumping” as well. Many expressed dismay over losing the current employee, who many lauded as a “family member” and extremely helpful and knowledgeable about their job.

Many made it a point that they would be able to work with the employee looking to exercise the bump, but believed it would be a mistake to supplant the current employee.

It’s a tricky situation with no clear, immediate answer, but one that must be resolved quickly.

“The longer the issue lingers, the more costly it becomes,” Galloway Township Solicitor Michael Blee said.

Said one firefighter: “It may cost the taxpayers a couple of dollars, but we need to make sure we get it right, and not have to spend millions later.”