Luzerne County Council set to vote on prison nursing shift change

The work shifts of Luzerne County prison nurses would increase from eight to 12 hours under a union contract alteration added to county council’s Tuesday voting meeting.

A proposal to reconsider council’s past approval of a court-requested lease of a Kingston property also was added to the agenda on Monday but later removed.

Regarding the nurses, county Correctional Services Division Head James Wilbur said he believes the shift change will be a recruiting tool because many nurses are accustomed to 12-hour days on a rotating schedule that frequently allows three consecutive days off.

Seven of the 13 staff nursing positions in the county prison system are currently filled, and recruiting staff to fill vacancies is a challenge at the prison and for nursing positions in general throughout the country, Wilbur said.

Because minimum staffing levels must be met, mandatory overtime is sometimes required due to the number of vacancies, he said.

While the county retains Wellpath LLC as the inmate medical services provider, the county has continued to employ unionized licensed practical nurses at the prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre and the nearby minimum offenders building on Reichard Street. These nurses take direction from Wellpath, according to the county.

Wilbur said the proposed supplemental agreement negotiated with staff nurses represented by LIUNA Public Service Employees’ Union, Local 1300, also will specify conditions in which Wellpath can augment nursing staff if necessary.

If the 12-hour shift is approved, it will mirror the schedule followed by Wellpath’s medical department, which will provide uniformity, he said.

“We went back to the table with LIUNA because we’re trying to make sure we’re efficient and safe working with what we have. I think this will be a good opportunity to do that,” Wilbur said.

Council had approved the contract with LIUNA in March 2025.

Tuesday’s voting meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre. Instructions to attend remotely are posted under council’s online meetings section at luzernecounty.org.

Court lease

The council meeting agenda update initially posted Monday indicated council would be voting on a motion to reconsider the leasing of a Kingston property that a council majority had approved last month.

Under council bylaws, a council member previously voting in support of the lease would have to make a motion to reconsider.

However, a revised agenda removed the reconsideration from the agenda.

Council Chairman John Lombardo said the reconsideration was initially added to the agenda because he had been informed a council member may be interested in revisiting the matter.

Court officials sought the lease of an 11,900-square-foot former bank property at 310 Market St. in Kingston to house the county’s Domestic Relations office, which would free up space to fit all family court judicial operations inside the county-owned Bernard C. Brominski Building on North Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Lease payments to owner JDP Realty Inc. will be $25,783 per month, or $309,396 annually, which factors in renovations.

Six council members had approved the lease on June 24 after lengthy discussion: LeeAnn McDermott, Chris Perry, Jimmy Sabatino, Joanna Bryn Smith, Brittany Stephenson and Greg Wolovich.

Councilman Harry Haas was absent from that meeting. Three council members voted against the lease — Patty Krushnowski, Kevin Lescavage and Vice Chairman Brian Thornton. Lombardo had abstained, citing his relationship with a different building that had been considered for leasing.