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Veronica Ferguson
By BRETT WILKISON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Double-digit pay cuts and 12 days of furloughs are among $26.2 million in concessions sought from Sonoma County government employees, say union officials involved in contract talks with the county.
The pay cuts and an increase in furlough days — from five days this fiscal year — could amount to an overall drop in pay of at least 15 percent, union officials said.
County officials would not confirm those numbers, saying the details of the negotiations with five of the county’s 11 unions are confidential.
But they acknowledge pay cuts, furloughs and other proposals would be put forward in the negotiations. Pension overhaul, including the possibility of going to a two-tiered retirement system, is not currently up for discussion, they said.
Pay cuts in any form, however, are an almost unprecedented step for the county, officials admitted.
“We felt an obligation to put everything on the table,” said Sonoma County Administrator Veronica Ferguson.
Given the county’s deficit, union officials said they weren’t surprised by the proposals, which also include a halt on staff development and training spending and a ban on vacation and compensation time buybacks for all but retiring employees.
But they expressed concern, however, that administrators were seeking to balance the county’s budget by focusing on non-managerial workers, who have had medical benefits cut and salaries frozen the past two years.
“It’s pretty dire circumstances,” conceded Lisa Maldonado, executive director of the North Bay Labor Council, which includes three of the county’s largest unions. But “the important thing is that this be shared sacrifice and not just on the backs of line workers.”
Administrators say the concessions would apply to all 3,755 county employees, including the 630 non-union employees, a group comprised mostly of managers, clerical payroll workers and elected officials, including members of the Board of Supervisors.
The proposals were put forward as a way to avoid some of at least 95 layoffs and associated cuts in county services already authorized by the board.
When the county’s 2010-2011 proposed budget comes out Tuesday, savings from those job and service cuts will be used to cover roughly half of the $61.6 million deficit in county’s general fund.
Officials hope, however, that contract concessions, which were not included in the budget because they depend on the negotiations, could help scale back layoffs.
“We’re just trying to do whatever we can to save jobs,” said Supervisor Mike Kerns. “We’re asking our employees to help us.”
Unions representatives indicated, however, they may be less willing to help the county this year, even at the risk of losing some members through layoffs,
A five-day, across-the-board furlough implemented at the end of 2009 is expected to save the county $4.6 million by June 30. Reductions in county health benefits could total millions more — officials said the figure was unavailable this week. Nearly $1.2 million in savings resulted from a hold on staff development funds, officials said.
Coupled with salary freezes and other bargaining losses, the concessions amount to at least a 20 percent drop in pay over the past several years, said Craig Brooks, president of the Sonoma County Prosecutors’ Association, which represents 43 deputy district attorneys and four child welfare workers.
“We’re hearing from employees that ‘I did my part and now the county needs to right-size itself (with layoffs) and get the expenses in line with revenues,’” said Ed Clites, president of the 540-member Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association. “It’s an opinion that’s out there.”
Middle ground may be difficult to find, union representatives said, because there has been little communication from top officials and department heads to unions about how many jobs they might save by accepting a certain amount in concessions.
“Our bottom line is going to be tough because … we really don’t know where we stand in negotiations,” Brooks said.
County officials say they expect to work out some details in a closed-door meeting with unions next week.
Current talks also may be helped by release of the proposed budget, officials said.
“The sense to me of all our employees is that they’re very concerned about the budget situation,” Ferguson said.
Still, the possibility exists that the county would impose a contract on one or more unions in the case of an impasse, she said.
Two unions — the roughly 2,000-member SEIU Local 1021, the county’s largest, and the Sonoma County Law Enforcement Association — have had a total of three contracts imposed on them in the past two years, officials said.
Clites said he hoped to avoid a repeat by working with the county — at least on the furloughs.
The pay cuts are another issue, he said.
“That’s the talk I’m trying to avoid,” he said.
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Bear,
Not to attack one side or defend the other, the facts behind what you wrote just don’t check out:
“Look, can we all agree that the deregulatory polices of the republican party, combined with fraud by lenders and rating agencies, caused the current disaster?”
The primary cause of the 08-09 financial meltdown was President Clinton’s signing off on the final step in the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, which had protected our financial system for over 70 years. The read is here:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/wallstreet/weill/demise.html
Please note the role played by Secretary Rubin, not so different from what’s going on in today’s Admininstration, with financial industry insiders in policy-making government positions.
Even in Europe, they know that arm-twisting by Congressional Democrats was a major cause of the disaster. Here’s the read:
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/dominic-lawson/dominic-lawson-democrat-fingerprints-are-all-over-the-financial-crisis-949653.html
The Conservatives and Progressives are equally guilty of running the federal government like it’s their private club and piggy bank.
But it’s far from clear that it’s the Republican’s fault.
Regards,
Chuck
If the citizenry are willing to wait in line longer, then by all means, champion the lay-offs of county line staff. But then don’t complain that it takes 3 months to get the permit or the social aid you need. Don’t complain and blame the line staff when it takes a social worker a month to start investigating a report of abuse. Don’t complain that your veteran parents can’t get someone to help them navigate the federal VA system to get the pensions and healthcare veterans are entitled to. We (yes, WE… county employees are members of the public, too) can’t have it both ways. We can’t assist you timely when we have 1 person doing the job of 3 and entire departments are gutted. Pick your poison carefully.
From what I heard from two people I know who work for the County of Sonoma, the County doesn’t want public negotiations. Then it would come out that the unions offered a 2 tier system several years ago because they saw this coming. Plus the unions came up with a cheaper, more flexible medical plan that would have saved over $20 mil… Then the county came up with a plan that was not thought out. It made the employees pay more and still cost the county and extra $22 mil. Yes, someone lost their job over that one. That was all. From what I have heard from a few who are behind the scenes, the unions really did try to give back and come up with savings. Since the county didn’t think of it, they wouldn’t have it. They shoved it down the unions throats because it was just OPM… Other people’s Money. The unions aren’t the evil empires. Pride is in the way of major change in the upper mgt. Heck, most won’t believe it anyways. Most of them still believe in global warming and the tooth fairy.
Good luck this year Sonoma County.
Look, can we all agree that the deregulatory polices of the republican party, combined with fraud by lenders and rating agencies, caused the current disaster?
Did you know that the environmental review of the current Gulf oil disaster was requred by a republican congress and president to be complete within 30 days? Take away weekends and that leaves 22 days.
Union contracts are negotiated with the Board of Supervisors, who obtain the same or more benefits. As does management. So how about we chat with Janet, Nick, Earnie, Tim and Eric?
Please remember that Sonoma County is a VERY expensive place to live. If you want quality employees, you must pay them a living wage. Most of the employees I know are looking for jobs someplace else. Do you really want essential services to be provided by the lowest bidder?
All I know is that my health coverage is going up 70% in ONE year. That’s a lot of money that won’t be spent at local businesses.
Folks, it’s a downhill spiral. At the local level, you can’t hurt others without hurting youselves.
Maybe we should focus on putting the national level jerks who are truly responsible in JAIL? That’s the only way things will change.
Meanwhile, everybody should take the same hit,
From this article….”the details of the negotiations with five of the county’s 11 unions are confidential.”
There is where the trouble starts. This should be done in public, not behind closed doors where corruption deals are made.
The county is asking for $26 million in concessions from labor?
How about an across the board cut from Supervisors to street sweepers of 10%?
Adjustments according to who screams the loudest only invites more corruption and political/union favoritism.
One legitimate fact to consider when discussing public employees’ salary is that they go without increases and bonuses during booming economic times. They are deciding to forgo jobs that offer higher salaries and bonus structures in favor of consistency, stability, and more generous retirement packages.
It seems unfair to ask them to pass on these higher salaries when times are good and also accept pay cuts when times are bad.
If you think that county line staff and middle managers are compensated at the same level as line staff and middle managers in similarly sized “for profit” organizations you are deluding yourself.
If the prosecutors’ salaries are cut, the people who will ultimately suffer the most are crime victims. Think about it – a private defense lawyer’s salary is not going to be cut. But the lawyers who are representing the crime victims and the community are going to be expected to battle well-funded, private defense lawyers in the courtroom with reduced resources and diminishing take-home pay. That’s insane! I would hope the BOS can do a better job of getting their priorities in order . . .
Lawyers in private practice make many times over what our prosecutors are paid. Lawyers in private practice set their own hours – and bill for all of the time when they are actually working. Our prosecutors are not paid any overtime – and they have no control over the size of the caseloads that they are given. Our prosecutors work tirelessly for far less pay than they would receive in the private sector, yet they perform some of the most important legal services that exist in our community. Unlike the law enforcement officers with whom they work, our prosecutors would be unable to make up any salary cuts with overtime pay, although they will continue to work far greater than 50 hours per week just to keep up with their cases. I, for one, am grateful for the work they do. How about putting a moratorium on all overtime pay for county employees? Or setting salary caps on management at $150,000.00 per year?
County employees who retired within the last 5 years are laughing all the way to the bank. They reaped a huge benefit of 3% for each year served retirement when they only contributed at the 2.5% rate. The county’s current employees are left holding the bag and the BOS and their latest hatchet man (or woman in this case) will probably find a way to make sure the employees never see the retirement they’ve contributed to.
Prosecutor’s wages and benefits have declined in the last 3 years from about $116/hr to $110/hr. Approximately $190,000/year for 1720 hours actually worked…with approximately 368 hours paid vacation, holiday, sick leave,etc. (all factored in above).
I don’t think the 20% decline is near correct. For what our prosecutors do they certainly earn their wage, but in these tough times we can’t afford to lay off younger prosecutors to continue these wages. In order to preserve the department everyone has to make sacrifices.
The Local and State Goverment should be CUT By 1/4 at least from TOP to Bottem, They have milk the REAL TAX PAYERS to death. Start with CAL Trans. If all this spending is so great then why are we Broke?
The county employees I know are smart and well intended but have lived in the “we deserve it” culture of the county employment ranks so long they believe it. Look at their comments, they blame there bosses, they blame this, the blame that, they blame…
It’s the victim mentality taught to them by their representation.
How about this acid test, you became a public employee for a reason, and it was not benevolence.
It’s CITIZENS who need concessions from county workers! The county legions are part of a Baby Huey nationwide public servant dilemma that must be severely reversed. CITIZENS can’t carry the gold bags for county employees anymore. Those days are over. Gone! This applies to the Supes, department heads as well as the lowest, newest clerk. The halcyon, fatted-calf days for the county are over.
If pay cuts are the only way the County can make ends meet then they aren’t very creative. I have heard what they charge each other from one dept to the next for in-house work. Over $2000 to install and outlet? Over $1500 to hang a door back on after it was removed? 3 oins and 2 minutes. Not bad. Yes, cuts need to be made, but to waste, not wages. People all over are hurting because industries are floundering. This is a calculated decision to financially destroy people. Sad, cruel and probably unneccessary.
The current BOS experience: 4 term incumbent w/15 years Paul Kelly; 3 term incumbent w/11 years Mike Kerns; Valerie Brown has been there eight years; and Supervisors Efren Carrillo and Shirlee Zane hit the ground running from day 1 to become the hardest working members. What’s needed now are hard working supervisors with common sense and good communication and listening skills. We need fresh ideas and a fresh approach.
Union workers gave over 2 million in concessions and give backs last year(unpaid days work at Holidays) and have more than stepped up to do their share. It’s time for the extra layers of management and administrators (many of them making 6 figure salaries) to do their part.
While this is painful it has been a long time coming. The employee unions overplayed their hand during the boom times, and the inexperienced Supervisors just kicked the can down the road for this new group inexperienced Supervisors to fix. After the next election the Board of Supervisors will have 4 rookies and one veteran member. It is going to get really ugly.
As I said it has been a long time coming.
The county needs to stop buying wetlands and land to save the frogs or whatever. And do something on these high pensions and you don;t need 10 county workers walking behind a dump truck doing tar striping, half of them were leaning on there shovels doing NOTHING but laughing.
I have already had paycuts in the double digits, my family is feeling it bad. The managers and confidentials need to buck up and start taking some cuts.
The people who make the most money which are the cops and the lawyers should take the biggest pay cuts.