A nationwide bus tour aimed at raising awareness about vacancies in public sector jobs kicks off Monday in Rochester.
The “Staff the Front Lines” tour is being led by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union.
"We have vacancies in 911, which are very important. You know, no one wants to call 911 and not get an answer,” said Council 66 President Dan DiClemente.
Staffing in Rochester’s 911 center is down nearly 20% with 30 staff positions currently vacant. There is a class in training. But 911 dispatcher Tawanda Ciccone said of the current situation: "We often work 16 hours straight to make up for these shortages, but the workload is simply unsustainable. We need help."
Staffing public sector jobs has been a problem for municipalities nationwide in recent years. Monroe County instituted $1,000 quarterly retention pay last year for all full-time workers. Elsewhere, New York City is grappling with a reported 24,000 vacancies.
Public safety and schools often are at the forefront of the discussion. But the issue is widespread.
“There's sanitation, jobs, street cleaners, mechanics, recreation,” DiClemente said, “all important jobs that need to be filled, and sometimes we’re experiencing a lack of applicants.”
The situation becomes more concerning when coupled with the numbers of positions lost.
The Rochester metro area shed tens of thousands of jobs during the height of the pandemic. Staffing levels have largely rebounded. But state labor reports show the government sector is lagging, particularly in local government and education.
“But it even goes beyond that,” DiClemente said. “A lot of CDL jobs (those requiring a commercial driver’s license) -- you know, bus drivers, mechanic, sanitation, street cleaners … even clerical jobs are not being filled."
DiClimente said the civil service exam process is an obstacle, with issues such as fees, scheduling or outdated tests. Gov. Kathy Hochul waived state exam fees starting this month citing thousands of vacancies in critical health and safety job titles.
