Amador County – Amador County announced last week that its employees have agreed to return to 36-hour work weeks, which will have the effect of returning county offices to having “Furlough Fridays.”
Diane Blanc, County Human Resources Director announced that most Amador County offices are to be closed on Fridays beginning Sept. 9.
Blanc said “as a cost saving measure, Amador County Employees have again agreed to a 36-hour work week, which will result in most County Offices being closed every Friday for the remainder of the fiscal year, until June 30, 2012.”
Blanc said the “change will affect most public service counters and public phone numbers, but will not impact availability of emergency services.”
Supervisors on Aug. 16 approved layoffs for 17 county employees due to an expected $3 million shortfall in the county General Fund this fiscal year. Service Employees International Union had the option to accept the County’s final offer of 36-hour weeks.
Deputy County Counsel Greg Gillott said Tuesday that layoff notices were rescinded and the laid off employees were all called back to work. He said the County and the Union’s bargaining team had reached a tentative agreement, and the Union held a vote by mail, with ballots due back by 5 p.m. last Thursday.
Gillott said SEIU knew the results by last Friday morning. The ballots came in with 126 votes in favor of the 36-hour work week, 52 votes not in favor. He said confidential employees, management and mid-management will all be working 36-hour weeks. The only ones working a 40-hour week are law enforcement deputies and investigators of the Amador County Sheriff’s Department, and Amador County Probation officers, who did not accept the 36-hour work week.
At the Aug. 16 meeting, supporters said furloughs could help save jobs and service levels, because county offices had already adapted to 36-hour schedules. Supervisor Chairman John Plasse said the county faced minimal staffing in all departments with layoffs.
Supervisor Richard Forster said they have been trying for five years to have a sustainable government, with a healthy contingency and reserves. He said having less than a 36-hour week means “we back ourselves against the wall and have no money at all for emergencies.”
Plasse said they don’t want to avail the county of the problems other counties have, with no contingencies or reserves, borrowing to start every year, and “everything becomes a management in crisis.”
Supervisor Ted Novelli said “we as a county, because we have acted the way we have, are ahead of the other counties out there.”
Supervisor Brian Oneto said they needed reserves to help the county in the event of catastrophes.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
