Mayor Chris Doherty of Scranton, PA, recently announced that nearly 400 public workers, including himself, are having their pay temporarily reduced to minimum wage, $7.25 an hour, because of city budget constraints.
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Lackawanna County Judge Michael Barrasse granted an injunction requested by unions against Doherty's pay cuts. However, the mayor is proceeding with the pay cuts, telling the Times-Tribune of Scranton that he respects the judge’s order, however there isn’t enough money to pay workers full wages.
Several unions are planning to sue.The Times-Tribune reported that Scranton’s police, fire, and DPW unions will ask a Lackawanna County judge to hold Mayor Chris in contempt of court. According to the unions’ attorney, the unions are also planning to sue for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for failing to pay overtime and wages on time, among other charges.