Labor shortage hits in Cheney

CHENEY – The national labor shortage afflicting the country hasn’t left the Cheney community untouched.

“Help Wanted” signs can be found in dozens of windows along First Street, across a variety of professions.

Explanations for the deficit are varied and ambiguous. Some cite government aid dis-incentivizing workers; others point to COVID-19 concerns.

And some highlight a societal change guiding workers away from manual positions.

Regardless of the cause, local business are struggling.

“I’ve been doing this for 43 years and I can’t figure out why people aren’t working,” said Curt Griffin, the owner of Zips Drive -In in Cheney. “The people who put in applications never show up for interviews.

“I would say only 10% of people who put in applications actually show up to an interview.”

For Griffin, reduced employees means reduced operating hours and slower service.

Zip’s once operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Now, its open 24 hours, five days a week.

“We’ve closed two of our graveyard shifts. Not only to give our staff a break, but it’s going to allow us to get caught up on maintenance issues,” Griffin said. “So, we still have people working overnight, we’re just not open.”

Zip’s isn’t the only fast food business struggling here with a lack of employees.

On Tuesday, a hand-written note on the drive-through window at Taco Bell said the business was closed until 5 p.m.

Taco Bell was previously open for lunches, and on some days, even breakfast.

Other businesses, too, are struggling to hire.

The Cheney Free Press has been looking for news staff for its main office here, and office staff for its sister newspapers in Ritzville, Odessa and Davenport.

Applicants have been few and far between, Publisher Roger Harnack said.

“We’ve even tried local and national online job requirement services,” he said.

The addition of nearly 15,000 Eastern Washington University students has helped a few businesses.

Farmhouse Café,1630 First St., has seen an uptick in applications and, in a recent email, operators said they are no longer struggling for employees like they were over the summer.

But beyond businesses, the shortage has also afflicted public institutions.

The Cheney School District, despite adding 73 employees for the 2021-22 school year, has been battling a shortage of bus drivers.

According to a recent Cheney Public Schools update Sept. 17, there are currently 47 routes being driven by 44 employees, requiring internal staffing adjustments to meet the need.

“Our entire department has been working extremely hard to meet the day to day and extra-curricular routing needs of our schools and I am very proud of their dedication to our students and district,” Superintendent Rob Roettger wrote. “We continue to seek additional drivers. So if you or someone you know would like to become a bus driver for the district, please contact our transportation department...”

According to the Labor Department, in June there were a record 10.1 million jobs open and 9.5 million unemployed people.

The number of unemployed people fell in August and economists are anticipating the number to drop further as students reenter school.

Despite the optimistic outlook, many researched are still concerned that people will delay employment due to lingering fears regarding COVID-19.

That’s not the research local businesses want to hear.

“It used to be where fast-food got a bad rap and we had trouble staffing,” Griffin said. “Now, it’s everybody.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s Les Schwab or Cheney Free Press or Zip’s. In Cheney, everybody’s having a hard time filling positions.”

Scott Davis can be reached at news@cheneyfreepress.com