Earlier this week, the Milwaukee County Board passed a budget for 2010. Included in that budget, are 12 mandatory furlough days for many county employees. WUWM’s LaToya Dennis reports on what the furloughs could mean for county services and the workers themselves.
The economic meltdown has led counties across the state to institute mandatory furloughs, and Milwaukee County is no exception. On top of three furlough days, county employees have remaining this year, next year; they’ll be forced to take 12. Tom Nardelli is chief of staff for the Milwaukee County Executive. He says eight of the days employees and their supervisors will have to set, while four will be fixed. But he says county residents should not worry about an impact on services.
“I don’t mean to suggest for one minute that because people are off, it could be done without them. All I’m suggesting is that much like holidays, personal days, sick days, their departments continue to run and have to continue to run. This is just the imposition of more days because of the tight fiscal times that we’re in,” Nardelli says.
The furloughs will not impact all county employees. For example, elected officials are exempt, so are people who work in 24 hour operations, such as at the airport or those who provide emergency mental health services. Among the workers who will have days off in exchange for a smaller paychecks are members of AFSCME, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Rich Abelson is executive director of District Council 48. He says he’s not certain how much pay each worker will lose, but it will be noticeable.
“It obviously affects them in their wages. It remains to be seen how it affects benefits and other issues,” Abelson says.
Abelson says he’s not certain the county can legally impose furloughs on union employees. Back in June, an arbitrator ruled that the county could not force a shortened work week upon union employees because it violated their labor contract. Abelson says he believes the same will hold true for the furloughs.
“There is already arbitral precedent that deals with the issue of reduced work hours and furloughs, etc. This of course is a major expansion upon the arbitrator’s decision, so it may end up being a matter for bargaining or it may end up being a matter for further arbitration and litigation,” Abelson says.
Abelson says the union remains open for negotiations. Earlier in the budget process, the county board shot down a tentative contract agreement that would have traded concessions for a two-year job security agreement. The county’s labor negotiator did not return calls and Chief of Staff Tom Nardelli would not comment on labor issues, however, he did say County Executive Scott Walker has said he will voluntarily take 12 furlough days.
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