State Managers Promise Furloughs Will Apply To All State Workers

Thus far pretty much all of the talk about state worker layoffs and furloughs has been about those directly affected by the pending state contract. But plenty of workers – 2700 if you count part-timers aren’t; and Commissioners, many high-level bureaucrats, as well as legislative an judicial staffers, would at this point --at least in theory -- remain unscathed by the furloughs envisioned in the proposed contract. And that’s a point union officials like to stress.

“What happens if, say we ratify the contract, the unclassified don’t participate, the legislative and judicial branch employees don’t participate. Then mandate isn’t met at all and the governor is still going to have to be looking at layoffs.”

Diana Lacey is a member of the State Employees’ Association bargaining team.

“Then, if the mandate isn’t met at all and the governor is still going to be looking at layoffs”

“It’s my expectation that everyone, including for me, that everyone will take furloughs, or furlough type-savings would be included to meet our 25 million dollar target.”

Governor Lynch admits the details for such furloughs are far from finalized. Administrative services Commissioner Linda Hodgdon says her office is working on consent forms authorizing deductions for employees whose salaries are set by law, and also for those not covered by the state’s collective bargaining agreement.

“We have kind of a draft of a format that we would have unclassified employees sign, that would be identifying those furlough days that would not be part of the mandatory furlough says, and everybody would be filling out one of those slips, so we would know for everybody and which days.”

Legislative and judicial branch leaders are also readying plans for whatever comes from the state contract vote. The court system declined to be interviewed for this story, but in a letter to judicial branch employees, chief justice John Broderick said he had indicated to the governor that if furloughs are carried out in the executive branch the judicial branch would be willing to participate in some form. House speaker Terie Norelli says top lawmakers are also at working to ensure that the legislatures 142 employees also share in any furloughs.

“I think it’s probably unfortunate that some employees seem unaware that we are in fact intending to mirror this contract.”

Norelli says her chiefs of staff, and that of Senate President Sylvia Larsen told employees month ago that furloughs for executive branch workers would likely trigger parallel furloughs for them. And while any plan would need to win approval of a legislative committee, she believes lawmakers will understand that things are tough all over.

“We’re all in this together and that’s why I think consistency would be easiest for the public.”

Workers eligible to vote on the contract have until Thursday to return their ballots. In the meantime, the SEA’s Diana Lacey says she just wants to see furlough plans for all workers in writing.

“This is supposedly an extremely serious situation, and yet one of the major concerns of the employees who have to say yes to this contract, and have been bringing up for months has still not been addressed.”

The results of the contract vote are expected next Monday. All sides expect it to be close.