The last furlough day for Jersey City municipal employees was June 11 – meaning, theoretically, that those who have had to take occasional days off for the last six months to save money in the budget will now be back to working full-time. …Or does it?
City officials, named and unnamed, say there’s a possibility that new furloughs will be imposed by City Hall starting as early as September for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
The furloughs announced by Mayor Jerramiah Healy last September were a cost-cutting move to make up for a decrease in state aid while former Gov. Jon Corzine was in office, and to bridge a $40 million-plus gap in the city’s $507.8 million fiscal budget for 2009 – 2010.
“Doing furloughs and then layoffs are just ridiculous.” – Chuck Carol
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With a new fiscal year about to begin, city workers are concerned that layoffs of employees with five years experience or less will be imposed in addition to the furloughs sometime in the future.
City spokesperson Jennifer Morrill said last week the administration’s position is that “everything remains on the table as we continue to cut costs.”
In February, besides the furloughs, about 280 seasonal and temporary employees were laid off by the city. The move was protested by residents at city council meetings earlier this year and privately by full-time city employees.
The layoffs, city officials said, brought savings of only $1.3 million for the remainder of this fiscal year, which ends June 30, and are expected to bring projected savings of $4.3 million for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
Many employees are holding their breath, waiting for Mayor Healy’s decision and hoping that it’s either only furloughs or layoffs – but not both.
Which one will happen?
Chuck Carol has already heard rumors of furloughs and layoffs and wants more information.
Carol is the head of Local 246 of the Municipal Employees Union, which represents over 640 full-time administrative employees, and he is a 33-year city employee. He said the heads of all the unions that represent both uniformed and non-uniformed employees met with then-Business Administrator Brian O’Reilly in May. They were told they would know in 30 days if there will be furloughs and/or layoffs.
Yet no answer has been forthcoming.
“I have heard nothing but rumors that it is a fait accompli,” Carol said. “I get calls from my members asking me what’s going to happen because most of my members don’t make a lot of money.”
Carol said his members would understand if furloughs were issued again but not if layoffs were to follow.
“If the furloughs are meant to avert layoffs, then people will volunteer to do so even though they lose money,” Carol said. “But doing furloughs and then layoffs is just ridiculous.”
Carol also said if layoffs were to happen it would be some time before workers would know, since he estimates it is a three-month process for the city to notify the state’s Civil Service Commission that it plans to pursue layoffs before the employees are laid off.
Several other city employees, who wanted to remain unnamed, said that Mayor Healy and members of his administration should let the employees know as much as possible, and as soon as possible. Their recommendations include only furloughs and no layoffs, or a shortened work week.
Some city council members also understand the municipal employees’ concerns.
Ward C Councilwoman Nidia Lopez said she would like to see no more furloughs and/or layoffs. Lopez said the furlough days have affected her work as a councilwoman.
“I have 86 cases I am working on within my ward, and the furloughs have prevented me from coming into my office in City Hall (City Hall is essentially closed on furlough days) and working on them, since city employees and officials are told not to come in,” Lopez said. “Also, I feel for my council aide, and the people who work for the city that don’t make large salaries.”
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.