inbattleoverlayoffs
PEFVicePresidentPatBakerandRegion
10CoordinatorVernettaChesimardgeta PEFVicePresidentJoeFox.
policeescortastheyleavetherallyto
deliverPEF’scost-savingsproposalstothe
PhotosbyRichardDillard,
governor’sNYCofficeacrossthestreet.
Region11CoordinatorJemma
KenDischelandBillSachs.
Marie-Hanson.
Governor,canyouhearusnow?-NewYorkCity, Regions10and11
Statestrugglingtopoundsquarepolitical
layoffspegintoroundfiscalhole
By SHERRY HALBROOK forcetheselayoffsanditwillyieldlittle
leftstate
WhilePEFandthegovernor short-termfinancialrelief.Thestatemust
service
alternativelysparandnegotiateoverhis payunemploymentinsurancebenefitsto
sincethe
demandfor8,700layoffsinlieuofthe theseworkersformonthsanditmust
lastround
employeeconcessionshewants,thestate continuetopaythelion’sshareoftheir
oflayoffsadecadeago.
DivisionofBudget(DOB)andthe healthinsurancepremiumsforayear.It
Thelayoffsystemhasbeenparticularly
DepartmentofCivilService(DCS)have reallydoesn’tmakesensefromapurely
muddyatthestateDepartmentof
beenworkingwithstateagenciestotryto fiscalstandpoint,especiallywhenyou
CorrectionalServices(DOCS)andatthe
movethelayoffprocessforward. considerthemoresensiblealternatives
stateOfficeofMentalRetardationand
Theyarefindingitdifficulttocut we’verecommended.”
DevelopmentalDisabilities(OMRDD)–the
workersfromagenciesthatwerealready Thosealternativesrangefromreducing
twostateagenciesslatedtolosethemost
seriouslyunderstaffedandstillmeetthe contractsforprivateconsultants (See
positions–wherethedefinitionsforlayoff
needsofthepublicandtherequirements related article page 6.) toreducingovertime
unitsandprocesshascomeintoquestion.
ofthelaw. costs.
Sinceseniority,bumpingrightsand
Inothercases,furtherstrippingthe InsteadofloweringOTexpenses,the
transfersareallrelatedtolayoffunits,
stateworkforcecouldjeopardizefederal layoffswillincreasethemandmayleadto
havingclearagreementonthedefinitionof
fundingortheaccreditationofsome morecontractsforprivateconsultantswho
thoseunitsandtheprocessiscriticalforthe
facilitiesandprograms. costmorethanthestateworkersthey
memberstoreceivetheirfullrights.
TheDOBhasreportedlyrejectedthe replace.
DOCSisslatedtocut2,021positions
implementationplansforseveralagencies “Lettingpoliticsdrivethestate’swork
andOMRDDhasatargetof1,434.
andsentthembacktothedrawingboard forcepolicieswillonlydeepenNewYork’s
PEFhasbeenworkingwiththeagencies
totryagaintofindsomethingmore financialtailspin,”Brynienpredicted.
andDCStoresolvetheseissues,andthe
workable. Meanwhile,theunioncontinuestowork
problemsatDOCSseemtoberesolved.
“Thegovernor’sdemandforlayoffsisn’t withitsmemberstodefendtheircivil
“Theexperienceistraumaticenoughfor
verypractical.Itappearstobegrounded serviceandcontractualrights.
theemployeeswithoutaddingthese
moreinpoliticalneed,thanbedrock Theramp-uptopossiblelayoffsis
uncertaintiestothemix,”Bryniensaid.
economics,”saidPEFPresidentKen complicatedbythefactthatsomany
“That’swhywearetryingtogetthestateto
Brynien. individualswithknowledgeofthelayoff
takeitsbetteroptionsandavoidlayoffs
ww
“
w
It
.p
’s
e
u
f.o
n
r
p
g
roductiveandirresponsibleto systemandhowit’ssupposedtoworkhave
entire
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.”
CommunicatorJune2009—Page5
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