Special to El Rrun-Rrun
On June 19, during a meeting of the City of Brownsville Commission, library maintenance worker II Francisca H. "Panchita" Lucio was named employee of the month.
She was given the watch and plaque and a pin at the ceremony and the lady, a hard worker according to Library Director Juan Jose Guerra and Information Director Jerry Hedgecock, was always punctual and courteous to library customers..
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That's the benevolent Hedgecock handing the worker of the month mementos to Panchita in hte graphic at right.
Mrs. Lucio started work for the city in 2008 as a part-time maintenance worker (20 hours weekly) at $8.71 per hour.
She had a sixth-grade education in Mexico before emigrating to the United States. In the 10 years she has been employed with the city, her personnel record shows that she has missed work maybe five times for illness, family illness, and funerals. Her work ethic, obviously, is sterling.
She had a sixth-grade education in Mexico before emigrating to the United States. In the 10 years she has been employed with the city, her personnel record shows that she has missed work maybe five times for illness, family illness, and funerals. Her work ethic, obviously, is sterling.
It was a feel-good moment for everyone, and an obsequious Mayor Tony Martinez got to pronounce a few words in flawless Spanish because the lady doesn't speak English.
She was, of course, thankful for the honor and said as much to the commission and the audience and promised to work even harder in the future.
As she said in the presentation, she appreciates having her job. That job, according to the COB salary lists, after taxes, generates a little over $400 every two weeks. In the 10 years she has been there, her base salary went form $8.71 per hour to her current hourly rate of just above $11 (about $2.30 an hour more). She is paid an annual salary, according to the city salary records, of $11,455.
Juan Jose Guerra, the bespectacled gent with the red tie looking down at the podium, started working part-time for the city as an administrative technician at the library after graduating from the University of Texas at Brownsville with a Bachelor in Science at a $5.80 per hourly rate ($6,075 yearly).
Guerra worked his way up from there and eventually went on to get his Masters in Library Science at North Texas (Denton) in 2002 and came back to work for the city. Over time (more than 16 years), he has been promoted to the top spot of City Library Director and now earns – according to city salary records – $64,426 a year.
Hedgecock, the big guy in the dark suit with striped tie, is Brownsville's Public information Services Director. He came to work for the city as a computer technician from Harlingen in 1993 where he ran a magazine. He started at $7.96 per hour.
Over the years Hedgecock rose through the ranks to automation technologist, systems analyst, etc., and filled in when there was an vacancy as assistant librarian, acting library director, acting supervisor, etc., Then, when an opening for head of Informational Services in 2006, he applied and made the top three.
The evaluator at the time said Hedgecock got along well with others and knew his way around the system. Among his friends was former city manager Charlie Cabler who regularly approved raises and promotions for Jerry.
The evaluator at the time said Hedgecock got along well with others and knew his way around the system. Among his friends was former city manager Charlie Cabler who regularly approved raises and promotions for Jerry.
The educational requirements were for "A bachelor's degree or education and training equivalent to four years of college education in business, liberal arts, or four or more years in the appropriate field.
That sealed it for Jerry and the evaluator chose him over two other applicants, even though he only has a GED, a high-school diploma equivalence one gets when you don't complete regular high school.
His personnel file is crammed with certificates of attendance to diverse one-day seminars from "Keeping Your Cool,""Sexual Harassment,""Bullying," FEMA Hurricane Awareness and Emergency Management, and the like, as does Guerra's.
Right now he is listed in the city salary schedule making $78,132, almost $14,000 more than Guerra with his Master's Degree.
However, neither Guerra nor Hedgecock have an Employee of the Month certificate like Panchita.