Fifteen employees of the Hudson County Schools of Technology Community Resource Center brought their case to a county budget hearing Tuesday, asking commissioners to act before a 30-year institution closes for good at the end of June. Represented by outreach coordinator David Morel, the workers want the county to pass a resolution protecting the vacation time, sick leave, and health coverage they earned over years of public service, and they arrived prepared to explain exactly what is at stake if it does not.
Key Takeaways
- The HCST Community Resource Center is closing June 30 after more than 30 years of service, eliminating 15 jobs and ending workforce, ESL, and employment programs that staff say have no equivalent elsewhere in North Hudson.
- CRC outreach coordinator David Morel asked commissioners to pass a resolution letting transitioning employees keep their full accumulated vacation, sick, and comp time, warning that one-third of the workforce is being pushed out entirely under current terms.
- A forensic audit found that HCST officials continued paying CRC staff years after the program’s grant lapsed, producing a multi-million dollar district deficit; the CRC also lost $1.5 million in grant funding in 2024.
Employees Take Their Case to a County Budget Hearing
Employees of the Hudson County Schools of Technology Community Resource Center appeared before county commissioners at a Tuesday budget hearing, asking officials to pass a resolution protecting accumulated leave and health benefits as the center prepares to close June 30. David Morel, vice president of the HCST Career Development Center Association and the CRC’s outreach coordinator, brought the workers’ case to the board.
Board Chair Anthony Romano (D-5) was not going to let Morel address the subject, saying “We’re not discussing that,” before Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2) pushed back by pointing out that HCST funding was already in the budget and directly affected those employees. Officials ultimately ruled the topic germane and let Morel speak…