Amador County – Amador County Supervisors initiated 17 layoffs Tuesday, with a final offer to the union still open until Monday.
Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said: “We’ve got a $3 million shortfall coming into our General Plan” over what we had last year. Department heads gave options for cuts and “every elected official voluntarily participated in the furlough” cutting themselves 20 percent last year.
“We have heard from employees in votes and polls,” Plasse said. “We are trying to listen to employees. We are two months into our fiscal year now, and we need to have our savings or we will not have a balanced budget.”
Service Employees International Union Chapter President Jenny Hayes said SEIU has brought several options to Supervisors, including a 38-hour work week, and voluntary furloughs. She asked them to “see if there was anything else you can do on your side to avoid layoffs.”
County Administrative Officer Chuck Iley said the county does not have a formal offer from the union on 38-hour weeks.
Oneto said “I think what you’re seeing here, you’re seeing happen all across the United States.” He said Amador County’s Secured Tax Roll has dropped 4 percent each of the last two fiscal years and likely would occur again in 2011-2012. He said 20-30 foreclosure notices are typical in the newspaper, from $100,000 to a million, or multi-million-dollar homes, each foreclosure dropping its value by 50 percent or more.
“We’re in a hard spot, and so are some of the workers,” Oneto said. “We have a fiduciary duty,” money is tight for lots of people, and we hoped the 36-hour week would be the solution.
Supervisor Richard Forster said “we have been negotiating for four months now in good faith,” and “it was the goal of the Board to try to negotiate successfully for what’s good for our employees.” It was “hard to have to sit back and not be able to say anything.”
Plasse said if they went back to a 36-hour work week, it would stop 16 layoffs. After public questions of why the union rejected furloughs, Forster said they cannot delve into internal labor politics. Deputy County Counsel Greg Gillott said the question would be better answered by the union.
Supervisor Ted Novelli said: “When I see some of the people who will be affected, my heart goes out.” He has been a union member, first joining a retail clerks union at age 17. He said “my theory has been that everyone is working together for the same goal. It’s a sad day for me.”
Oneto said: “I take no joy in laying people off,” and with “economic conditions like these, it is hard to find jobs right now. I recognize that.”
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
