Hudson County workers press commissioners over withheld pandemic retention/hazard pay as negotiations continue

Hundreds of county employees and union representatives told the Hudson County Board of County Commissioners on May 22 that pandemic-era retention and hazard pay promised to some public employees has not been distributed, and demanded a detailed accounting of which workers were paid, which were not, and why.

The public-comment period — one of the meeting’s longest — was dominated by employees from welfare, corrections and other county departments who said they are short-staffed, losing workers and relying on mandatory overtime. "We have families. We need money to live here," said a welfare worker, while corrections officers described routine mandatory overtime that interferes with family caregiving and medical obligations.

Why it matters: Several speakers said the county has already distributed pandemic-related funds to other unions and worker groups, and that the delay has left many employees unable to meet basic expenses. Commissioners…