In early October, Westmoreland County announced that 125 county employees, including SEIU Local 668 members, would be furloughed starting October 13 unless state reimbursements resumed. The decision followed months of budget gridlock in Harrisburg that left counties without vital funding. County officials said interest costs had already reached about $600,000 due to delayed payments.
The affected employees work in human services, aging, behavioral health, and drug and alcohol programs. They connect older adults to care, respond to crises, and help residents stay safe and stable.
At a rally in Greensburg near Senator Kim Ward’s office, Area Agency on Aging worker Vickie Rafferty warned that the cuts would ripple through the community. “If we lose these positions, the people who rely on services may go without critical support,” she said, noting that her office would lose five staff members and that care managers were already carrying double caseloads.
Rafferty also spoke at a press conference in Harrisburg on October 7, where SEIU Local 668 leaders called attention to the wider crisis caused by both state and federal gridlock. “We are being squeezed from both ends,” she said. “The state budget is stalled, the federal government is shut down, and the people we serve are paying the price.”
SEIU Local 668 President Steve Catanese told reporters that the combination of inaction in Harrisburg and dysfunction in Washington had created an unacceptable strain on public workers and the communities they serve. “Our members show up every day to care for others while elected officials fail to do their jobs,” he said. “When the people who hold this system together are pushed to the brink, everyone in Pennsylvania feels the impact.”
County Commissioner Ted Kopas said the furloughs were unavoidable under current funding conditions but acknowledged that losing staff would slow services and increase strain on those remaining.
As furloughs began, SEIU Local 668 continued meeting with county leaders, gathering accounts from affected workers, and pressing state officials to restore funding. The union urged counties to explore short-term borrowing and other stopgap measures rather than cutting essential jobs.
When workers stand together, they protect not only their own livelihoods but the public services that keep communities strong. Westmoreland County members have made clear that they will keep fighting until funding is restored. When we fight, we win.
ICYMI: Recent Coverage of the Westmoreland County Human Services Situation
