More Details Learned About Possible State Furlough
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State Employees On Furlough?
State employees may soon be voting on a plan to help balance the state budget at their own expense.COLUMBUS, Ohio —State employees may soon be voting on a plan to help balance the state budget at their own expense.
Published reports indicate that state negotiators have reached a tentative agreement with the largest state employee union that would spare state workers from an outright pay cut, but require them to take ten days off without pay, NBC 4‘s Patrick Preston reported.
Neither the governor’s office, the Ohio Department of Administration or the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association will confirm or deny the details of the negotiations.
Both sides agreed not to tell the media or public until after a deal is reached.
After proposing state employee pay cuts as high as 6 percent to balance his budget, Gov. Ted Strickland continues to look for ways to save the state $163 million in employee concessions.
If workers take ten days off without pay, it would amount to a nearly 4 percent pay cut. A state employee making $50,000 a year would lose nearly $2,000 in taxable income.
Nearly 25,000 of the more than 60,000 state employees are based in Franklin County, with thousands more in surrounding counties.
How would the days off affect state services? Would offices be closed for days at a time or would employees spread out their days off to continue operations, or would the state simply not pay workers for state-recognized holidays?
“It doesn’t really force the tough decisions that need to be made,“ said David Hansen, president of The Buckeye Institute.
While critics of the budget said Strickland needs to cut programs and departments, rather than simply cut workers’ hours, the governor’s office will not acknowledge the details of the negotiations or how government will be impacted.
OCSEA’s 35,000 members must first vote to approve any deal.
The impact of a furlough could potentially have a huge impact on area businesses as well.
Inside Broad Street Bagels, roughly seven out of every ten customers is a state employee, and manager Phil Kukucka said the business averages 350 to 400 people a day when state employees are working.
“On the days that the state is closed, we might average 40 (customers),“ Kukucka said. “If they are going to let people take random days, I don’t think that would hurt us as much, but if it’s a mandatory day that the state will be closed, then it’s going to be another holiday, and as I said before, we’ll lose about 75 percent of our business that day.“
Union leaders did not return phone calls on Friday, but NBC 4 is told that once a deal is struck with OCSEA that the deal will be used as a master agreement to negotiate with other state employee unions.
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Reader Reactions
Has anyone ever asked the question how State of Ohio spends the taxpayer’s money? All the people that have responded to this article about the State contract are correct. The thing that the taxpayers don’t know is that the State employees are going to take a 4% pay cut but this administration has the money to OUTSOURCE the Ohio Administrative Knowledge System (OAKS) for over $85,000,000. They spend time telling the taxpayers that they will save 45 million over 5 years, if you believe that I’ll tell you another one. How can you save money when you are paying contractors 3 times more then a state worker for the same job?
After reading the last 2 comments, it is obvious to me that these posters have never worked in Construction Services, Highway Maintanance, Roadway Services, or, I forget the 4th service that I have been told about.
I ask these 2, “Do you want people to represent you that don’t keep up in the latest developments concerning your career? How do think that O.D.O.T. employees get the training they need to do their jobs? Have these union reps actually told you this, or are you just a “yes” person and do whatever you feel that you have to do to either get a promotion or keep that less physical job that you have?“ We all age and one must remember that you can’t work like a 25 year old all your life. It would seem to an outside observer that these people have too much time on their hands if they know so much about what union reps do and working lunches. One of these days they might be needing the union to help save their position and councel them as to what their positiion requires of them.
Listening to my friends, I feel that these people have only seen management drive state vehicles to work. I forget how long it has been, but this has been stopped for quite sometime.
The state is composed of 12 districts. Each district has x amount of counties. Contruction goes on in all counties. Traffic lights and signs get damaged in all counties on a daily basis. Many of the workers needed to handles these problems live in these counties. So that these problems can be resolved in a timely manner, the State will put the vehicles needed to take care of these problems in O.D.O.T. garages and outpost in these counties so that these employees can get these vehicles and make the needed repairs. Now, many of these people who live in these outlining counties have to drive to the district headquarters to get the trucks needed for the repairs. They get into the truck and drive, sometimes more than an hour to get to the job site that needed the repairs. This has now cost the State an hours worth of labor that could have been used in repair time, times the number of workers in the crew, times the amount of fuel used by the needed repair trucks. Then, because overtime is not allowed, they have to leave the job site early enough to get back to the District headquaters before their quitting time, even though the job has not been completed. As one can easily see, taking away stratigically placed trucks and quipement has saved the State alot of money in fuel and labor costs. Also, many of these fuel saving costs are suppose to be helping us on a national level to become oil independent. Good job, Horatio, now we have fuel being wasted going to and from the eqipement to be picked up at the District headquaters, to going to and from the job site from the District headquarters. I, as a taxpayer, am elated, as now those workers have to waste their time and fuel to get to work. They are not gonna get ahead of me! To heck with the often times horrendous weather and traffic conditions that they encounter, let alone the demanding nature of the physical work that they perform.
Like a lot of other people, I too have submitted many cost saving ideas on the governors website, with none of them being made public, nor do I ever get a response. One of the cost savings is to take ALL state vehicles from employees. The Director of agencies should be the only person that has that perk. As a tax payer, I don’t feel that I should have to pay for my vehicle maintenance, gas and insurance, and then through my tax dollars pay for other employees to drive to work as the same building as I work at. If an employee has to go to a different site to work, that is farther than the normal work site, then they should go to the office (accountability), sign out a vehicle and go to the work site. As it stands now, people can show up when they want in the state vehicle, but they don’t care, they get paid from the time they leave their home, due to them being in a state vehicle, that makes them “On the Clock.“ This could save several jobs.
Also, when we had our last round of cuts, the “Upper level management” that were suppose to have been cut, were only moved around, then put in created positions with the same pay level. Bargaining unit employees were put on the streets. That is where the real cuts were. Think we are not top heavy? Try 9 management over 14 bargaining unit employees. That is just the area that I know about, but it is the same all around the state.
I am a 30 year state employee and I see the union reps goofing off more than anyone else! They sign up for every committee, seminar, convention, and training class that comes along in order to get paid for not working! Shame on the union! Their co-workers are covering their duties while they are out having “working lunches” claiming they are conducting union business. How about a vote to eliminate union representation for state workers? Employees could save money throw away on dues, and certainly more timer would be spent on providing services to the taxpayers.
How come the budget cuts don’t come more from the backs of upper management and not those of the labor force for the State?
Each distict has 4 positions under the Deputy District Director. I have been told that in Dictrict 5, O.D.O.T., there are 4 people in these posistions averaging $90,000 each per year. One of these people is on part time making $70,000+ just for the benefits.
If these positions were elimanated that would save the State $360,000 in District 5. Now multiply that by 12 districts and one comes up with a savings of $4,320,000.
These positions were created by the Republicans when they came into power. Basically, these were created either to promote or give jobs to those who gave support to the Republican Party. Why can’t the State go back to the use of department heads in these positions? They were paid far less before the Republicans came in and created these positions for their political paybacks.
The workers that are most affected by the proposed contract are those that are the least paid. They are the people who sacrifice time with their families, on holidays, family birthdays, weekends, and anything thing else that requires their being called into work for some kind of emergency.
The conditions that these people work under are horrendous. They work out on the interstates and state highways risking their lives everyday in all types of weather and traffic conditions. Not only do they have to worry about the task at hand, but they are constantly on the lookout for unattentive drivers, many of which are either talking or texting on their cell phones.
Why not cut back some of the pay and health benefits of our representatives in the General Assembly? The State could save more money there than making the working person pay higher health premiums and co pays.
I have never met a more interesting and didicated worker than those who are in the labor force at the State. Many are Jack’s and Jane’s of many skills. They are continuosly taking classes and getting certified or re certified for the skills that are needed by the State. Can those in the General Assemly or upper management make the same claim?
I could go on and on. I feel that Gov. Strictland and the newly elected representatives should remember who voted them in—the worker, those who work for the State and those in the private sector. We are possibly at a point now that the worker understands the power of their vote. Will we vote Democratic at the next election—or will many of us feel that we were used and vote Republican, to see if they treat the worker in this state, and country, any better? If we vote Republican and things don’t get better for the working person, we will vote them out. We will probably do this until we feel that we are appreciated and paid a wage that will allow us to live a dignified life.
How is it that we always seem to balance the budget on the backs of state employees? We were more than willing to forgo raises and give other concessions when we thought the Governor was serious about making cuts. That turned out to be a joke. He hasn’t even ordered a hiring freeze for State agencies, as previous governors have. Our department currently has twenty jobs posted, and has given close to one hundred promotions in the last few months. (These are not NEW people being brought in mind you, but promotions to people already there). Out agency is also spending 50 million dollars for a new computer system due out in 2010. Maybe one of your reporters needs to investigate that!!
In the meantime count my vote as a no!!!!
Count on people like Sage to blab before both sides are ready release details in March; piecemeal and with no context to stir the rank and file up. As soon as they get a note from Eddie they forward it to the news. Low class. Real low class!
As a 31 year employee I seen ALOT of waste. I see more and more everyday. Up until 2 years ago I was a union member. I really like my job and wasn’t planning on retiring but with whats been going on I would not be taking a pay cut if I retire. The transportation (ODOT) moneys doesn’t come out of the general funds. Our moneys come from the gas tax. But we are under the same cuts as everyone. I agree with everyone else that the first cuts should come with the governor and LT governor and all the perks they recieve. Maybe get rid of 1/2 thier staffs and taking airplane rides to DC all the time maybe he needs to drive at his expense which is what making everyone else do. I work in the field I drive these road everyday and plow snow. In my 30+ yrs I have almost been hit by cars numberous times and does anyone say thank you. You know that if our governor our Directors would walk in our shoes for a while the wouldn’t be so quick to want to take away our wages.They might even actual learn what we actually giveup for our jobs. The dangers and stress we are under everyday. Maybe they wouldn’t be so quick to make cut backs. I know with what they have done to management in the last 6 months I have lost over $6000.00 this year. That before the furloughs and the wage cuts. If the union lets this get through they are crazy. Of course we know the union has no backbone they back the governor. The last time this happen and we took wage freezes it just so happen the govern found $180 million the day after the contract was agreed to. So even though I might get hit harder as management. I hope the union member won’t agree to this contract. The union has been saling out it member the last 3 contract and it is time for them to stop. It just another time the Governor is crying wolf.
The State has not cut enough of the perks and fat from the budget to justified the cut in income for the employees. Lets start with the OAKS Accounting system that has cost god knows what and is still riddled with problems or the countless numbers of consultants being paid to resolve the oaks issues. How about all the free parking state administrators receive or cell phone which are all paid for by tax money. Oh lets not forget tuition reimbursement at $3,000 per fiscal year for courses that offer college credit or the $1,500 for conferences, events and short term training courses. This is available to each and every state employee. Perhaps they need to suspend this benefit for 2-3 year. What about the fleet of state cars and all the travel to out of state conferences and events that can be suspended until the economy recovers. All this is unnecessary fat that can be suspend to help balance the budget. I have worked for the state for 28 years and I am willing to do what it takes to keep my job but like everyone else the economy is taking a toll on my household budgets and I have had to make cuts to cable, cell phone etc. I think it is only fair for the governor to make the same cuts from the state budget before he sends thousand of state workers into a financial free fall.
You are absolutely right Sage, we put Strickland in there to do the right thing. But, right for whom? On the 3rd year we get 32 hrs. cash and 32 additional hrs. sick. That is providing most of us State workers can make it that long without losing their homes, vehicles etc. On these 10 “cost saving” days everyone should get the “Blue Flu”. Funny how the state has funds to pay these high price consultants to re-design every agency’s web site to conform to the Gov. site. Do you know how much consultants make a hour? We out source OAKS and now have to call them back in to fix it so it will be designed to handle all this new days off without pay thing. And how do you distinguish these days off from the leave with no pay where you get reprimanded like it is now? You go into leave with no pay now and DAS will give you days off as a reprimand. You will lose vacation time accrued and sick leave as well. You only get the full 3.2 hrs. if you are in “active pay status”. So, you will be cut there as well. More loss of wages. Then the $12.50 a month addition of “spousal surcharge” on your health care plan they imposed. Higher co-pays at the doctor and out of pocket expense went from $1,000. for single to $2,000. Family went from $2,000. to $3,000. Oh yea this is getting better and better isn’t it? Oh wait, inmates get all this “free” now don’t they. You are not looking towards re-election are you Gov?
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