Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "stationary engineers local 39"

In-depth look at proposed police layoffs

2011-06-10T01:05:21Z

Sacramento Police and union officials warned Thursday a spike in crime is expected if 81 cops are laid off when the City Council approves a budget.

Police officers – angered over the likelihood that dozens of them are about to lose their jobs – are vowing to take action come election time, said detective Mark Tyndale, vice president of the local police union, the Sacramento Police Officers Association.

On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council tentatively voted to make deep budget cuts that would include slashing $12.2 million from the police department's budget and laying off 81 sworn officers and 68 civilian police employees. If the council approves the 2011/2012 budget with a final vote as expected June 21, the officers will be laid off July 1.

Police Chief Rick Braziel on Wednesday announced losing that many officers would force the department to reduce services. The department would eliminate more than a dozen specialized units, including gang crimes, narcotics, high-tech crimes, traffic, marine, mounted, bike and foot patrols.

The department would shift its focus to core services, mainly handling emergency calls and investigating major crimes required by law including murders, rapes and robberies. Bad guys will commit more crime because citizen crime reports will drop. That will provide police with fewer tips that can help stop criminals earlier in their careers, Braziel said Thursday.

"I expect crime to go up. You'll see criminals getting away with more because there are just less of us out there," Braziel said by phone. "The ultimate victim in all of this is the community. That's who suffers most."

Patrol officers who have the least seniority in the department are the ones facing layoffs. Detectives would be reassigned to fill those patrol slots or the remaining investigation units, such as homicide, robbery, sexual assaults or general investigations, Police Department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said.

The city has the right to lay off officers and would not be violating a contract with the union by doing so, according to Tyndale and Leong.

Such cuts would mark the first time sworn officers have been laid off – for as long as anyone can remember – at least since the 1970s, Leong said.

SPOA members said they believe the council's vote made it clear city officials aren't interested in negotiating any contract concessions in lieu of layoffs. No negotiations have begun, and none are expected before the budget is approved by the council, Tyndale said.

"Everybody's hoping some miracle can occur," he said. "I just don't see (it) at this point."

Morale among police officers is low. Tyndale said union members believe the six City Council members who tentatively approved the layoffs have turned their backs on police. Councilman Steve Cohn, Mayor Kevin Johnson and Councilwoman Angelique Ashby voted against the tentative decision.

According to Tyndale, union members think the six council members created a "mess." Officers are now saying, " 'This (2012) is an election year. You guys are going to pay for this mess you made,' " Tyndale said.

A total of 372 positions have been cut from the department over the last three years. Those were either civilian layoffs, or vacant posts that had been filled by civilians or sworn officers. The officer posts were vacant due to attrition through retirements or resignations, he said.

The total of sworn officers who would be cut now stands at 81 due to a retirement. That would leave 620 full-time officers – of 701 currently – working for the department. The department currently employs 318 civilians. The cuts would leave 250.

In addition, 17 vacant slots would be eliminated under the current budget plan, Leong said.

If that happens, the department won't have the investigation units or number of officers needed to keep Sacramento streets safe, Tyndale said.

"It is going to destroy Sacramento," said Tyndale, a detective with the sexual assault investigations unit who has served with the department 23 years. "It will completely devastate us – the department and the community."

However, 35 officers could be immediately rehired if the department wins a waiver on a federal grant that would provide funding to restore those positions. Police officials don't know when the exemption might be granted, Leong said.

A union representing 1,400 other city employees has been calling for "balance and equity" in layoffs among all city employee groups in order to balance the budget. At Tuesday night's council meeting, a business representative from Stationary Engineers Local 39 described claims about the impact of public safety cuts as "civil terrorism."

"The city can no longer afford to spare any group during this economic crisis," Local 39 official Linda Norman told the council. "I am also speaking out against the city's public safety unions' recent campaign of what I will call 'civil terrorism.'

“Through the use of media announcements, door hangers and lawn signs, these public servants are perpetrating a negative, harmful and divisive atmosphere, saying any reduction of public safety funding will leave our citizens vulnerable and unprotected from increased crime," she said.

SPOA President Brent Meyer later described those comments as unprofessional.

The units that would remain include patrol, crime scene investigation, front counter assistance/security, K-9, helicopter and the criminal apprehension team, as well as the other investigation units mentioned previously. The department's number of detectives would drop from 104 to 71 because some investigators will return to patrol, Leong said.

The crime scene investigation unit, currently staffed entirely by civilians, would be filled only by sworn officers as of July 1.

The department's two full-time SWAT teams, which do a lot of specialized training and assist with investigations and arresting criminals, would become part-time. Cuts would mean they will work on patrol when not doing entries or training.

There will be some cost-savings from laying off administrative clerks or other civilians tied to the units that would be eliminated. However, the units aren't being eliminated to save money. They're being eliminated because there won't be enough people left to fill them once officers are transferred to operational services such as patrol, Leong said.

As a result, officers will be responsible for handling so many cases they won't be able to do as much proactive crime-fighting. And that will lead to a loss of expertise in such areas as narcotics and gang crime over time, he said.

Braziel has been meeting for months with his executive command staff, made up of deputy chiefs and captains, to determine how to reorganize the department if the council approved major police layoffs to help balance the budget.

The chief said he's especially concerned because of the cumulative impact that may result if there are budget-induced layoffs in Sacramento County law enforcement agencies, in addition to an expected upcoming prisoner release, loss of social services and lack of jobs for prisoners.

The layoffs aren't spread out more evenly throughout the department because they must be made based on seniority. The majority of patrol officers are the newest members of the squad.

The announcement the units would be eliminated is not a negotiating tactic to get concessions from the union or City Council, according to Braziel and Leong.

"The police department has followed the direction of council who on Tuesday made it clear their intent is to move forward with the budget cuts, and there is nothing to indicate any foreseeable changes to the budget," Braziel said in an emailed statement.

Sacramento Press staff reporter Kathleen Haley contributed to this report. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Council intends to make major public safety cuts

2011-06-08T07:44:49Z

The Sacramento City Council’s tentative decision Tuesday night to make severe budget cuts to public safety is not final, but it made a big statement.

Council members voted 6-3 to say they intend to make budget cuts later this month that include layoffs of 82 sworn cops and increases in brownouts or alternating closures for fire services.

A big caveat to the tentative decision is the council’s statement that it is still open to further negotiations with the city’s public safety unions.

Tuesday’s hearing drew intense public interest. Many people arrived more than an hour early to the 6 p.m. meeting. Shortly before 5 p.m., about 70 people waited in line for the doors at City Hall to open.

About 340 people were at City Hall around 6:15 p.m. The 230 seats inside the City Council’s chambers were filled, and another 110 people were outside, in the lobby and in a second-floor overflow area.

A City Hall police security officer estimated at 7 p.m. there were 400-450 people at City Hall.

City leaders are facing a $39 million deficit for the 2011/2012 fiscal year. The City Council is expected to approve a budget June 21.

Council members Jay Schenirer, Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Kevin McCarty, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell voted to say they intend to make public safety cuts, among other reductions, though they may still negotiate with unions for changes to the cuts.

Council members Angelique Ashby and Steve Cohn and Mayor Kevin Johnson voted against the tentative decision.

Schenirer proposed the tentative decision, stating that cuts to public safety were necessary in order for the city to get on a fiscally responsible track.

“The right thing happens to be the more difficult thing this year, unfortunately,” he said.

The proposal includes $12.2 million in cuts to the Police Department and $9 million in cuts to the Fire Department.

The suggested cuts include layoffs of 82 sworn cops in the Police Department and 68 civilian personnel, according to updated statistics provided Tuesday night by Sgt. Norm Leong, police department spokesman.

The department could restore 35 staff if it obtains a waiver on a federal grant, according to city officials.

“I just can’t, in good conscience, support a budget where we’re going to cut $12 million from police,” Johnson said.

In addition to its tentative decision, the council made a final decision Tuesday night to approve a federal grant for the Sacramento Fire Department. The funding from the federal government comes from the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

The six council members also said they intend to make fire cuts that would raise the number of alternating closures, or “brownouts,” of fire services from two to four. Without the grant, the city would be weighing whether to make six brownouts.

The city manager’s office is not proposing layoffs for the Fire Department.

As part of the 6-3 vote, the council also said it intends to keep 11 community centers open without setting aside any money for them through the Department of Parks and Recreation. It’s unclear how that can be accomplished. Schenirer suggested that neighborhoods could help keep the centers open.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Intense city budget talks begin

2011-05-04T06:09:21Z

Sacramento City Council members began discussions Tuesday on the city manager’s recommendation to cut as many as 366 jobs in the budget for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

One city union protested the proposed layoffs at City Hall before the City Council meeting, and representatives from two other unions expressed their opposition to the cuts during the meeting.

City officials presented the budget recommendations from the city manager’s office at Tuesday’s meeting and summarized the budget document.

As part of the meeting, Interim Deputy City Manager Betty Masuoka explained a chart on the job cuts recommended by the city manager’s office.

The city would need to slice 250 full-time positions to gain the $39 million in savings. But Masuoka and Interim City Manager Bill Edgar are making recommendations for cuts on top of the $39 million in light of the city’s ongoing financial woes.

City officials project that the city will continue to face budget gaps until fiscal year 2015/2016.

The gap for fiscal year 2012/2013 is $11.7 million and is expected to rise to $22.9 million in fiscal year 2013/2014. In fiscal year 2014/2015, the city expects to be $18 million in the hole. The gap drops to a $13 million deficit predicted in fiscal year 2015/2016.

If the City Council decides to cut all the positions that Masuoka and Edgar have suggested, 366 positions would be lost, according to page 28 of the chart Masuoka referenced.

It’s unclear at this point how many actual layoffs would result if the City Council decided to cut the 366 jobs. The numbers may change during the budget process. Plus, the city uses a process of demoting some employees while laying off others that can change the numbers.

Regardless, the City Council could decide to make hundreds of layoffs in the next few weeks.

“This budget is very painful,” Councilwoman Bonnie Pannell said.

Councilwoman Angelique Ashby indicated she would make efforts to avoid layoffs to police and fire employees. As many as 80 sworn officers could be laid off in the proposed budget, according to the Sacramento Police Department.

Ashby said the citizens she represents are concerned about police and fire staffing and levee improvements.

“I’ve got to find ways to make those my top priority,” she said.

Councilman Kevin McCarty asked city staff to prepare an alternate budget that would show the city’s financial situation if the City Council made no public safety cuts.

Mayor Kevin Johnson said he was concerned about the layoffs.

Marcia Mooney, business representative for Local 39, said there could be about 150 layoffs of members of her union, who work in city services including parks maintenance, utilities and solid waste, she said. Local 39 is pressing the City Council to not put the brunt of layoffs on rank-and-file workers.

Representatives of the Sacramento Police Officers Association and Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 addressed the City Council during the meeting.

“You’re making life-and-death decisions,” said Detective Mark Tyndale, vice president of the police union.

The police department, he said, has already been “cut to the bone.”

Jaymes Butler of the firefighters’ union said Fire Department cuts could hurt communities. The proposed budget would ramp up the number of Fire Department “brownouts” from two to six.

The city fire department has two rolling brownouts in effect, which means that certain fire trucks and engines are out of service at various times, according to former Fire Department spokesman Jim Doucette.

The next public budget meeting will be held Thursday, May 12. The Sacramento Press will publish the time and place of the meeting as soon as it can obtain that information.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City eyes 350 city jobs for cuts

2011-04-30T01:57:07Z

More than 350 jobs, including those of 80 sworn police officers, could be cut to balance the city’s budget, Interim City Manager Bill Edgar said Friday.

The city manager’s office released recommendations Friday on how to resolve a $39 million budget gap. The proposal released by the city is not set in stone: The City Council is responsible for making final budget decisions.

“This is the budget that everyone has dreaded,” Edgar said. “(This is) the budget where the chickens come home to roost.”

The city manager’s office proposes cutting 294 positions. In addition, Edgar said he is recommending that the City Council cut about 60 more positions to privatize maintenance of city golf courses.

In the coming weeks, representatives for the city’s unions are expected to negotiate with city officials over the planned budget cuts.

The proposed budget recommends that the City Council lay off 80 of the city’s 701 sworn police officers. The city manager’s proposal also suggests laying off about 70 civilian workers in the Police Department and cutting 18 vacant positions for sworn police officers.

Detective Mark Tyndale, vice president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, said the union’s members are upset, scared and “very angry” about the proposed cuts to the department.

The union made concessions on raises in 2009 that resulted in $13 million in savings for the city, he said.

“We have stepped up, and we have given,” he said.

SPOA’s view is that the city unfairly gave raises to a few top city officials recently.

Tyndale also argues the city mismanaged money by paying raises to members of another city union, Local 39, after negotiations fell apart between Local 39 and the city in 2009.

(However, it should be noted that Local 39 members suffered layoffs as a result of the failed negotiations with the city in 2009. Local 39 Director of Public Employees Joan Bryant, who represents city workers that are not in the public safety field, recently argued that the city unfairly favors public safety workers on retirement benefits.)

Despite Tyndale’s anger over the proposed budget, he said SPOA will continue to “have a dialogue with city management” on the budget.

“We expect to be treated fairly by them,” Tyndale said.

The proposed cuts will reduce police services, said department spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

“It will have impacts to crime and to the service level we’re providing,” he said.

In one of many examples, Leong said the department would not be able to respond in person to property crimes like theft and home burglaries if there are no suspects on the scene. “We’re not coming out,” he said.

However, if there are suspects present, the department would respond, he said.

Sacramento City Councilman Darrell Fong, who retired from the Police Department in 2009 after a 30-year career there, said no officers were laid off during his tenure with the department.

“I’m really concerned about the cuts to public safety,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Fire Department also faces major cuts in the proposed budget. There are “whole communities that aren’t going to have EMS or fire response,” said Jaymes Butler of Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522. “They’ll have to pull from another community.”

The numbers of layoffs and the cuts to services for the fire department are still unclear because the city has been selected to receive a $5.6 million grant earmarked for fire services.

However, Butler estimated that the cuts would result in the following actual layoffs: 14 captains, nine engineers, 35 firefighters and seven firefighter/paramedics.

Positions are different from actual layoffs, because the city sometimes saves money by cutting vacant positions.

However, Edgar said he doesn’t expect the number of positions – more than 350 – to differ much from actual layoffs.

“I think it’s fair to say that most of (the positions) are filled at this point,” he said.

The city budget document released Friday projects that the city will continue to face budget gaps until fiscal year 2015/2016. The gap for fiscal year 2012/2013 is $11.7 million and is expected to rise to $22.9 million in fiscal year 2013/2014. In fiscal year 2014/2015, the city expects to be $18 million in the hole. The gap drops to a $13 million deficit predicted in fiscal year 2015/2016.

Read the full text of the proposed budget here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Vina transfers pressures with budget, unions to council

2011-03-28T02:09:57Z

The clock is ticking for the Sacramento City Council.

Sacramento Interim City Manager Gus Vina’s resignation on Friday morning means that the City Council must take immediate actions that will impact the city budget and labor negotiations with municipal unions.

Council members must find a new top city official one month before the city’s proposed budget is due. Vina’s resignation also means that the city’s labor unions will take up budget negotiations with a new city leader.

“We don’t have time to grieve,” City Councilman Steve Cohn said in an interview Friday.

Cohn was one of four council members who supported Vina’s earlier effort to become Sacramento’s next permanent city manager. In a split 5-4 vote on Jan. 25, the City Council decided not to promote Vina to the permanent city manager position. The five council members who voted to hold a national search for a new city manager were Sandy Sheedy, Rob Fong, Kevin McCarty, Darrell Fong and Bonnie Pannell.

Though the council did not promote him on Jan. 25, Vina said in February that he planned to compete in the national search.

But that plan came to a halt Friday, when Vina gave his resignation letter to the City Council and Mayor Kevin Johnson. He gave two weeks’ notice and will leave his post April 8.

“I need to move on and pursue other opportunities because I feel that for a city manager to be effective, you really have to have the confidence of the entire council,” Vina told The Sacramento Press on Friday. “I don’t feel that’s the case right now.”

Like Cohn, Councilwoman Angelique Ashby also commented on the need for the City Council to move rapidly.

“For me, he was the front-runner to be the next city manager for the city of Sacramento,” Ashby said. “Now, I think we have a pretty big challenge on our hands. We need to make some quick decisions. We need to come together as a council and really look at the future of our city.”

“And (we need to) find ways to be successful coming out of this situation,” she added.

Johnson’s office had not released a statement on Vina’s resignation by press time, even though spokesman Joaquin McPeek said a statement would be issued on Friday. Johnson supported Vina’s bid to become permanent city manager, saying in January that he hoped Vina would apply for the job in the national search.

The five council members who voted against promoting Vina in January did not return phone calls seeking comment on Friday. The Sacramento Press left phone messages with McCarty, Darrell Fong, Rob Fong, Sheedy’s office, Sheedy’s District Director Joann Cummins and Pannell’s office.

Turnover for the city manager position has been high lately. The City Council selected Vina for the interim post one year ago. Former City Manager Ray Kerridge resigned in February 2010.

New leader must grapple with city budget, union negotiations

The city’s government structure empowers the city manager to develop the city budget. While the City Council makes all final decisions on the budget, the city manager is responsible for preparing the proposed budget document.

Budget preparation at Sacramento City Hall is a weighty responsibility, especially in light of the city’s $35-40 million budget gap.

While the city is in the midst of a major budget shortfall, Cohn and Vina both expressed confidence that Vina’s departure would not delay the budget.

Cohn said Vina told him that the draft budget is on track and should be available to the public by the May 1 deadline. Cohn also said the city has experienced staffers working on the budget.

Vina said Friday that he is carrying out his budget responsibilities.

“We are very close to finishing the proposed budget,” Vina said. “It will be ready to meet the May 1 deadline.... I committed to council that I would get the budget done, and I will.”

But Councilman Jay Schenirer indicated that Vina’s departure will make the budget process more challenging.

“I think it’s a difficult time for the city right now,” Schenirer said. The budget process “was certainly a place where Gus was very strong,” he added.

While Cohn said he was confident that the budget work will get done on time, he expressed concern about labor negotiations, which are often a key part of balancing the budget.

The city manager’s responsibility as leader of labor negotiations for the city is critical, he said, especially when the city is asking the unions to make concessions.

“The bigger problem I see down the line is labor negotiations,” Cohn said.

Mark Tyndale, vice president of the Sacramento Police Officers Association, said his union was already talking to Vina about issues that would affect the city’s budget. Vina’s resignation interrupts that process, Tyndale said.

“These relationships are really important for us,” Tyndale said, noting that SPOA was able to communicate well with Vina, even when the union disagreed with him.

“With Gus departing ... it takes us back to square one,” Tyndale said.

However, another major city union may prefer Vina’s replacement over Vina.

Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Stationary Engineers Local 39, said on Friday that she strongly opposed Vina’s recent decision to award raises to Finance Director Leyne Milstein, Human Resources Director Geri Hamby, Community Development Director Max Fernandez and Police Chief Rick Braziel.

Local 39 represents city workers in the areas of solid waste, code enforcement and animal care, Bryant said. The union represented 1,600 full-time city employees, according to statistics provided by Bryant last September.

“I think he was rewarding his loyalists,” Bryant said.

The amount of money in raises that went to top officials could have paid the salary of a parks worker, she said.

Vina raised Hamby’s salary from $151,402 to $162,000. Fernandez’ salary jumped from $164,445 to $172,667. Milstein’s salary rose from $131,270 to $150,304.

Braziel received an 8 percent raise in June, four days before he told the public he would not leave the city of Sacramento for a potential police chief position in Seattle.

Maurice Chaney, acting city spokesman for the city, responded to questions about the raises on Vina’s behalf in February.

“Two of the three salary changes (Community Development director and the HR director) were envisioned as the next planned step of last fiscal year's consolidation process, which occurred last July and resulted in a cost savings of more than $4 million,” Chaney wrote in an e-mail to The Sacramento Press. “Salary adjustments specific to these positions were considered because of the associated increases in departmental duties that resulted with these mergers.”

Chaney also commented on the raise for Milstein.

“The finance director has played a crucial role during the last four years in assisting with a budget deficit that has affected all city employees,” he wrote.

On the topic of Braziel’s raise, city spokeswoman Amy Williams said in September that he deserved the money because he had voluntarily taken a pay cut in 2008 with the understanding that it would be restored later.

Is Sacramento an unstable city?

In the view of city employee Cindy Bates, Vina’s resignation will not destabilize the city government.

“He’s left competent leaders behind to take care of the ship,” said Bates, a program analyst in the transportation department.

But Sacramento Metro Chamber President Matt Mahood said Vina’s resignation is bad for business.

The business community must work with the city government, he said, giving the example of the requirement for businesses to receive city permits. An unstable city government discourages businesses within the region and those looking to bring business to the city, he said.

“There’s a lot of instability in the city of Sacramento, and that does not help foster a positive business environment,” he said Friday.

Mahood said the council members should change the way they interact if the city manager feels like he has to resign because he doesn’t have their support.

The council members need to align more with each other, he said, “and figure out a way to work together.”

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City outsources tree pruning work

2011-02-24T00:51:57Z

The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to hire an outside contractor for tree pruning and removal work despite opposition from a major city union, Stationary Engineers Local 39.

Council members voted 7-2 to pay up to $3.7 million to Roseville-based Jensen Tree Service, Inc., for a contract that could span five years. The contract has a one-year guarantee of work – after that, the city manager will decide each year over the following four years whether to continue the contract, according to Craig Lymus, the city’s acting procurement manager.

A representative for Local 39, which represents urban forestry workers, among many other groups of city employees, said the work that Jensen Tree Services will carry out is usually done by city employees.

“I find this to be an affront to the public employees and the residents of this city,” Linda Norman, business representative for Local 39, told the City Council. “These dollars will be lost to the city’s embattled economy.”

Each year, the city will pay the contractor $749,000, according to Transportation Director Jerry Way. The money will come from a lighting and landscaping fund, he said.

Way told council members that his department is trying to balance its tree pruning work between in-house workers and outside contractors to save money. The city’s Urban Forest Service is part of the Transportation Department.

“We’re growing our outsourcing a little bit, because, you know, we’ve been hemorrhaging general fund dollars,” Way said.

Councilwomen Sandy Sheedy and Bonnie Pannell voted against hiring the contractor. Pannell raised concerns about contracting with an outside firm when the unemployment rate is high. “My problem is: Unemployment is 12 percent,” she said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City, county faced grim year

2010-12-31T01:35:08Z

Sacramento’s city and county governments confronted grim budget situations throughout 2010. The city faced a $43 million budget gap, while the county struggled with a $181 million hole.

Local government employees felt the pain of budget cuts: Sacramento County laid off about 380 employees during the summer.

The county also slashed 29 positions in its engineering department in September. The county will no longer hire engineers for those spots.

City officials laid off 12 workers represented by Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447, city spokeswoman Amy Williams said in September. The layoffs occurred after talks between the city and the union failed.

However, the city’s job loss situation could have been worse. City officials and Stationary Engineers Local 39 negotiated a contract during the summer that saved at least 80 jobs.

Budget cuts hit Sacramento’s Fire Department, but the blow was lighter than expected. The City Council decided in June to increase from one to two “rolling brownouts” for the department. An earlier plan called for four rolling brownouts.

The term “rolling brownouts” refers to taking certain fire trucks and engines out of service at various times, former Fire Department spokesman Jim Doucette said in June.

A variety of city programs faced cuts, including the city’s 311 information line and youth program.

Consolidations of several city departments and offices took place as well. Code Enforcement, formerly a department, became a division of the Community Development Department. Neighborhood Services became a division of the Parks and Recreation Department, while Human Resources joined with Labor Relations.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

311 call center to scale back service two days each month

2010-09-17T00:56:46Z

New budget cuts will cause the city’s popular 311 call service to shut down for all requests except emergencies for two Fridays per month, according to city officials.

The budget cuts result from the new contract for union employees represented by Stationary Engineers Local 39. As part of the union’s deal with the city, each member of Local 39 must take 88 hours of furlough time in the 2010/2011 fiscal year, and 96 furlough hours in the following fiscal year. Some of the union’s members work for 311, and they will be on furlough the two Fridays each month, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams.

The call center’s new schedule with furloughs starts Sept. 17.

“We are unfortunately asking our constituents to be patient with us,” said Gina Knepp, division manager of 311.

Tens of thousands of people use the service to find information about city services, according to Knepp. The center receives an average of 1,500 phone calls each weekday, she said.

On average, 300-400 phone calls come in on Saturdays, Knepp said, adding that the call volume on Sundays is slightly lower than the volume on Saturdays.

This means that 311 receives an average of 30,000-35,000 phone calls per month, Knepp said.

In the last fiscal year, 311 received about 17,000 e-mailed requests, she added.

The call center will have employees on furlough Friday and Sept. 24. Starting in October, the center’s furloughs will be in effect on the second and fourth Fridays of every month.

“On those days, only limited staff will be on duty, and only emergency calls can be handled,” according to a Sept. 13 e-mail that General Services Director Reina Schwartz sent to the City Council.

In the city’s definition, 311 emergency calls could involve “injured animals, water, sewer or drain emergencies, roadway hazards and traffic signal malfunctions.”

In the past, the city received many compliments from citizens about 311, City Councilman Ray Tretheway said. But the call center is putting people on hold for longer periods of time as well as experiencing furloughs, he added.

The 311 cutbacks show “reality setting in of the severity of our budget cuts,” Tretheway said.

Southside Park resident Joy Korstjens said she uses 311 every couple months, adding that she’s more likely to use the 311@cityofsacramento.org e-mail service.

She said she is disappointed about the cuts to the 311 service, but also expressed sympathy for furloughed 311 employees. Korstjens, an employee at the state Department of Consumer Affairs, must take three furlough Fridays each month.

“As someone who is also furloughed, I feel bad for the employees,” Korstjens said.

The furloughs for 311 employees will affect their salaries, as well as add to their workloads when they return to work on Monday, she said.

Meanwhile, Knepp provided the text of the message that citizens will hear Friday if they call 311:

“Hello. You have reached Sacramento City 311. All calls may be recorded for quality monitoring purposes.

“It is Friday, Sept. 17th. The 311 Call Center will only be available for emergency calls today. Please stay on the line if you are reporting an emergency such as: injured animals, water, sewer or drain emergencies, roadway hazards and traffic signal malfunctions. An agent will assist you shortly.

“For all other inquiries, please call again tomorrow when we are open for full service.

“If your request is non-urgent and you prefer, you may e-mail us by writing to 311@cityofsacramento.org. Thank you, and we do apologize for any inconvenience.”

Read the Sept. 13 e-mail that city staff sent to the City Council here.

Here is a list of the dates that 311 will be closed for calls that do not involve emergencies:

Sept. 17
Sept. 24
Oct. 8
Oct. 22
Nov. 12
Nov. 26
Dec. 10
Dec. 24
Jan. 14
Jan. 28
Feb. 11
Feb. 25
March 11
March 25
April 8
April 22
May 13
May 20
June 10
June 17

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City Council passes Local 39 contract

2010-09-08T02:54:57Z

The Sacramento City Council approved a two-year labor contract with city union Stationary Engineers Local 39 that saved about 80 positions. Since the city came up about $1.2 million short in its negotiations with Local 39, council members decided Tuesday night to move that amount from a parking fund to the general fund.

The city’s transportation department spokeswoman, Linda Tucker, explained in an e-mail last week that the city’s parking fund is designed to pay for new parking garages.

“Given the downturn in development and no urgent need to build new garages, we are using about $1.2 million one-time dollars from the fund to cover the gap between what the city expected to receive in wage concessions to balance the budget and what was ultimately agreed to by Local 39,” Tucker wrote.

The two-year contract deal with Local 39 saves the city about $7.6 million in general fund dollars, according to a Sept. 7 report that Human Resources Director Geri Hamby addressed to the City Council.

Local 39 has 1,600 full-time city employee members who work in a range of fields including the solid waste division, code enforcement and animal care, according to Joan Bryant, director of public employees for the union.

Employees represented by the union can only be laid off in fiscal year 2010/2011 if the City Council determines that a fiscal emergency is taking place in the Utilities Department, Bryant said.

As part of the contract, Local 39 employees will take furlough days in fiscal year 2011 that amount to 88 hours per employee. In the 2012 fiscal year, the employees must be furloughed for 96 hours.

The contract also blocks employee raises for two years, according to Interim City Manager Gus Vina.

Photo by Brandon Darnell

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Union members pass contract to save at least 80 jobs

2010-08-31T01:10:13Z

At least 80 city employee jobs were saved after the members of the city union Stationary Engineers Local 39 approved a contract with city officials.

City employees passed the contract earlier this month, according to an Aug. 23 e-mail that Interim City Manager Gus Vina sent to city staff and the City Council. Local 39 leaders and city officials negotiated a deal Aug. 6, but the union’s members had not voted on the contract at that time.

The union represents 1,600 full-time city workers, according to Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Local 39. These city employees hold jobs in several areas that include code enforcement, animal care and the solid waste division.

The contract includes a monthly furlough day throughout the two-year period, according to Transportation Department spokeswoman Linda Tucker.

Every employee covered by the contract will have 40 hours of personal leave each year for two years, according to Bryant.

Local 39 employees can only be laid off in fiscal year 2011 if the City Council finds that the Utilities Department is facing a fiscal emergency, Bryant said.

Vina said the contract also puts employees’ salaries on hold for two years.

The City Council is expected to formally approve the contract’s terms on Sept. 7.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Eleven city workers laid off Friday, 80 jobs saved

2010-08-07T00:43:08Z

While the city and Stationary Engineers Local 39 saved 80 jobs with an agreement Friday, the city laid off 11 workers represented by the local plumbers’ union.

The city did not find common ground with Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447 by Friday, the city’s deadline for layoffs.

Harry Rotz, business manager for Local 447, did not return phone messages earlier this week. No one answered the phone at 4:45 p.m. Friday at the union’s office.

Interim City Manager Gus Vina said the city would continue to negotiate with Local 447.

“There’s 80 people in the city of Sacramento that were packing up and were planning on going home to tell their son or daughter — their family members — that they’re no longer going to be working,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a Friday press conference. “And that is not the case. They’ll be coming back to work on Monday.”

Council members Sandy Sheedy, Kevin McCarty and Lauren Hammond also made remarks praising the agreement with Local 39. The union includes 1,600 full-time city employees.

Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Stationary Engineers Local 39, also spoke at the press conference.

“We are pleased that we were able to avert the layoffs that were scheduled for today,” Bryant said. “And we are looking forward to ratification with our members.”

Local 39 and the city worked out a tentative two-year agreement, according to Vina and Bryant. The agreement would include no pay cuts, Bryant said. The contract also includes 11 furlough days for the 2010/2011 fiscal year, she said. In the 2011/2012 fiscal year, there would be 12 furlough days.

Local 39 is guaranteed no layoffs for 2010/2011, she said, with one exception. If the City Council determines there is a fiscal emergency in the Utilities Department, the guarantee is off.

The tentative contract also would give each employee 40 hours of personal leave time each year of the two-year period, Bryant said.

Under the tentative contract, the city would freeze employees’ salaries for two years, Vina said.

The union’s members will need to vote on the tentative agreement before it can go into effect.

Photo: City Manager Gus Vina.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Members of Local 39 call for action

2010-07-28T06:57:06Z

“Chop at the top!”

That was the chant echoed by approximately 150 employees of the City of Sacramento, all members of Local 39, as they picketed outside City Hall Plaza.

“Our members are very, very upset,” said Joan Bryant, Director of Public Employees for Local 39. “This is the fifth round of layoffs we’ve had in our bargaining units. We had about 121 of our members who recently received layoff notices, and our members are upset about it."

“I’m here to show my support,” said David Worlds, an employee with the Department of Transportation, recently transferred from the Department of Parks and Recreation. “I think it’s important that we show up and if nothing else let people know that it is important to us.”

In terms of concessions, the City is proposing:

A three year contract covering June 19, 2010 to June 2013
A 4% reduction in salaries effective June 19, 2010
A 5% increase in salaries effective June 30, 2012
One furlough day per month for the term of the contract
Salary step increases suspended until June 29, 2013, upon which salary steps will be advanced to the step that they would have been had the salary step increases not been suspended.

A statement passed out by Local 39 at today’s event addressed the concessions saying the City of Sacramento is top heavy with management. According to the statement, there is one management position for every six workers who provide front line services to the public.

The statement also alleged the City Manager is proposing to lay off workers in special funded departments, such water treatment plant operators and sanitation works in the Department of Utilities, even though they have an approved balanced budget.

Local 39 also took concern with the percentage of general funds spent on public safety, saying the City of Sacramento has for the first time surpassed the 80% figure for public safety expenditures.

Bryant indicated talks have been moving along between the City and Local 39. “I kind of characterize it as the very early stages of bargaining,” said Bryant. “We’ve had nine sessions with our large bargaining unit, and we were at the table today with our plant operations, and tomorrow we will have another session.”

Yet not everyone feels Local 39’s Leadership has put their best foot forward regarding concessions.

“I haven’t heard anything from anybody,” said Worlds. “There’s more questions right now than answers, and I think that’s probably a big part of it.”

“I think if there was more communication, it would help.”

An online petition has been started urging Local 39 Leadership to agree to the City’s proposal.

“I know we have some members who believe we should just come and vote on whatever they want to vote on, and we have a process to follow,” said Bryant. “I know there are some disgruntled members because they thought last year they should have had a vote on something. Last year we met with the City hoping we could arrive at some kind of amicable solution to help with the budget deficit, but the City walked away from the $7 million dollars we offered in concessions.”

“I don’t think they (the members) understand the bargaining process that you should just come and vote. That is not the feeling of the majority of them”.

When asked what he would like to see as a result of the demonstration, Worlds hoped for one thing:

“An agreement”

Chop at the Top, say Sac City Employees

2010-07-28T03:45:09Z

"We are here today because our Local Union 39 is not listening about letting us have a voice on what labor concessions we'll take to save people's jobs," says Leslie Garner, City of Sacramento employee. "Our voices are not being heard by our union."

According to a statement made by Stationary Engineers - Local 39:

"The citizens of Sacramento deserve a city that is a 'Full Service City.' We treasure our parks, our libraries, the quality of our drinking water, and our canopy of trees.

Like other local government agencies acoss the country, the City of Sacramento is facing significant budget challenges. And unfortunately, the City Manager is proposing drastic cuts to the workers who maintain these treasures.

But we think there is another way. Another way of preserviing and maintaining these treasures while balancing the budget.

The City of Sacramento is simply top heavy with management. For every six workers who provide front line services to the public, there is one management position. That is nearly double the ratio recommended by public administration experts. By eliminating unnecessay management positions, the City can balance its budget and continue to provide to its best ability a 'full service city.'

We are also troubled as to why the City Manager is proposing to layoff workers in special funded departments like water treatment plant operators and sanitation workers in the department of utilities when they have a balanced budget as approved by Council on June 22. These employees are paid out of an enterprise budget which has no direct link to the general fund.

And finally, we are deeply concerned with the percentage of general funds that are being spent on public safety. For the first time, the City of Sacramento has surpassed the 80% figure for public safety expenditures. In June 2008, the City of Vallejo was on the brink of declaring bankruptcy when their expenditures on public safety hit 80%. We don't want to end up like Vallejo."

SacPress Photos | Kati Garner

My sister is a City of Sacramento employee

City doles out pink slips

2010-07-22T01:17:05Z

The city of Sacramento sent out pink slips to about 90 employees Wednesday because city management and two unions have not yet found common ground in their contract negotiations.

However, Interim Assistant City Manager Patti Bisharat said city officials have not given up on efforts to resolve their differences with the unions.

In June, the city closed a $43 million budget gap for the 2011 fiscal year.

The two unions that have not made concessions are Stationary Engineers Local 39 and Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447. Local 39 represents employees in numerous city departments, including Utilities, Transportation and Community Development.

Bisharat said Tuesday that the city was still actively negotiating with the unions and “still hopeful” for an agreement to avoid layoffs. But the city sent out layoff notices in order “to pull the trigger if we need to,” Bisharat said.

If the negotiations end successfully, then city management will retract the pink slips, she said.

But if talks do not improve soon, the laying off of about 90 employees will go into effect Aug. 6, according to Bisharat.

Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Local 39, said it was “very disturbing” that the city sent out layoff notices Wednesday. The union has faced layoffs of more than 200 workers in the past two years, she said. The union represents about 1,500 workers locally.

“The city has an obligation to cut its spending and stop cutting workers at every turn,” Bryant said, “because pretty soon you’re going to have no one to cut.”

She claimed that the city is laying off workers to put pressure on the union to accept the city’s demands.

Local 39 is continuing to negotiate with the city, she said, but noted that the city’s specific requests are “not something that we will likely jump into.”

The city is asking Local 39 to sign off on a three-year contract that would end in June 2013, according to city spokeswoman Amy Williams. A 4 percent pay cut would go into effect now with the proposed contract, Williams wrote in an e-mail. Starting in June 2012, employees covered under the contract would receive a 5 percent raise.

Among other details, the contract would include a monthly furlough day throughout the three-year period, Wiliams wrote.

When the City Council balanced Sacramento’s budget on June 22, it extended negotiation talks with three unions for 30 days. One of the unions, the Auto, Marine and Specialty Painters Local 1176, made concessions to the city last week, Bisharat said.

The city had hoped to use savings from labor concessions to balance its budget. But when city managers didn’t gain concessions from unions by June 22, the City Council decided to allow an extra month for negotiations.

Since the city didn’t have the savings from concessions in June, the City Council moved $648,000 in other funds to help fill the budget hole.

The layoffs of about 90 employees would mark a second group of layoffs for the city this summer. About 50 employees worked their last day on July 16, Williams said.

Harry Rotz, the business manager for Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447, could not be reached because he was out of town Wednesday, according to the union’s office.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City budget, strong mayor debate at Tuesday meetings

2010-06-22T04:50:09Z

With the city budget and Mayor Kevin Johnson’s updated strong mayor proposal on the City Council’s agenda, the public is likely to see political fireworks at two meetings Tuesday.

During the first meeting, at 915 I St. at 2 p.m. the City Council will discuss key issues related to the city’s budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The city must settle a $43 million budget gap.

Council members will consider whether to scale back proposed cuts to the city’s fire, parks and police departments. Read the report on some of the planned budget cuts here.

Another issue on the council’s afternoon agenda is the Utilities Department budget. Find information on that budget here.

The City Council will also decide whether to extend city management’s negotiations with three unions for 30 days. The unions are Stationary Engineers, Local 39; Auto, Marine & Specialty Painters, Local 1176; and Plumbers & Pipefitters, Local 447. A document from the interim city manager’s office on the issue can be readhere.

In addition, council members will discuss their views on a possible ballot measure which would tax local medical marijuana dispensaries. Learn more about that discussion here.

At the evening meeting, to be held at 915 I St. at 6 p.m., the City Council will make a final decision on the budget and then discuss Johnson’s new strong mayor plan.

The City Council is discussing, but not voting on, Johnson’s plan. Johnson aims to ask council members to vote in mid-July to put the plan on the November ballot. Read a report on the issue from Johnson’s office here.

City Council meetings are open to the public.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Claims of unpaid fees raise questions about past layoffs

2010-04-07T02:30:48Z

Claims that the city’s development department did not retrieve fees from developers in recent years have raised questions of whether some of last year’s layoffs could have been avoided.

At one point last year, the city had a $50 million budget gap. The Community Development Department was hit with 27 of the city’s 102 layoffs, according to economic development spokesman Maurice Chaney.

Sacramento is now struggling with a $35 million-$40 million budget hole for the 2010/2011 fiscal year.

A third-party auditor will investigate claims that the development department waived, undercharged, deferred or did not retrieve development fees, City Auditor Jorge Oseguera said.

In a phone interview last week, City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy asked whether the possibility of unpaid fees could be linked to the situation last year that resulted in layoffs.

“We laid off a lot of city staff,” Sheedy said.

An official with a union that represents city employees also connected the two issues of layoffs and claims of unpaid fees. Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Stationary Engineers Local 39, said the union is seeking more information about fee issues at the department.

Photo by Anthony Bento.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

970 jobs sliced

2009-07-03T02:18:02Z

For about 180 city employees and roughly 790 county employees, Thursday was the last day of work.

The city layoffs are part of the budget cuts the city approved when it passed its budget last month. When it passed its budget, city officials closed a $50 million deficit.

County layoffs came with the Board of Supervisors’ approval of its proposed budget last month. The county government had faced a $180 million deficit. For its final budget in September, the Board must still close out a $19 million budget gap in the state-mandated programs the county administers, according to Linda Foster-Hall, the county budget officer.

Some of the city’s unions made concessions to city managers in return for no layoffs. But some of the unions, including Stationary Engineers Local 39, did not make deals with the city.

The union represents a wide variety of workers in numerous city departments, including code enforcement, parks and recreation, parking enforcement and the solid waste division.

Mayor Kevin Johnson told reporters Wednesday that the failed negotiations with Local 39 were "disappointing."

“It’s the city workers who are impacted by this,” Johnson said. “And our team of negotiators went back and forth with the leadership of Local 39, trying to engage them over and over. And, at some point -- I cannot tell you why -- there was just not willingness at their part to negotiate.”

But Local 39 representatives claim that city officials were not interested in giving union members layoff protections.

“While other groups have been offered a no-layoff guarantee in exchange for wage concessions, the city adamantly refuses to do so for non-safety workers,” according to a Local 39 written statement.

Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Local 39, said Thursday that city officials “walked away from the talks.” The layoffs are unfortunate, she said.

The numbers of layoffs for both city and county employees were not exact by Thursday afternoon. The county sent out 793 pink slips to employees last month, but the number of total layoffs may be different when the county finishes calculating the exact numbers in the next two weeks, according to county spokesman Zeke Holst.

The numbers are not yet set in stone for several reasons, according to Holst. One of the reasons the numbers are still unclear is because there are employees choosing to retire, he added.

He also explained that the county is in the midst of “bumping” procedures. An employee who has seniority can move down to a lower position, he explained. When these employees move down to lower positions, they “bump” the people in the lower positions out of their jobs.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Layoffs for 68 firefighters, 200 other city workers

2009-06-24T02:04:11Z

A total of 68 firefighters are scheduled to be laid off during the first week of July, assistant city manager Gus Vina said on Tuesday.

Mayor Kevin Johnson told reporters Tuesday that the Sacramento City Council did not accept the latest tentative deal with Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522. Since the firefighters and city managers did not reach a labor agreement, the city plans to go through with its plan to lay off 68 firefighters. The firefighter layoffs are part of the city's budget cuts.

"This is a setback, but the world doesn't stop here," Johnson told reporters Tuesday night.

The city also did not arrive at a deal with Stationary Engineers Local 39, according to Vina. This means that about 200 city workers who are represented by Local 39 will be laid off. The workers who will be laid off will receive pay through July 3. Their last day of work will be July 2, said acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City/County budget crisis: The weekly roundup

2009-06-22T01:20:33Z

City approves budget, 168 possible layoffs

The City Council approved its budget June 16 for the 2009/2010 fiscal year, which means the city no longer has a budget gap of more than $43 million. However, the budget also means that city services face significant cuts, and 168 employees are scheduled to be laid off.

The last day of work for the 168 workers has been changing because the city and unions are still grappling with contract negotiations. The most recent information is that the last day of work for employees scheduled to be laid off is July 3, said acting city spokeswoman Wendy Klock-Johnson Friday.

The city has already distributed 168 pink slips. Still, the number of actual layoffs hinges on union concessions. City unions must make deals with city managers soon: The final deadline for labor agreements is June 30 at midnight, Klock-Johnson said earlier this week.

City parks to be maintained by volunteers, private sector?

Budget cuts and layoffs at the city’s Parks and Recreation department may mean the department could consider contracting with private firms and working with neighborhood groups to maintain city parks, said Jim Combs, director of Parks and Recreation.

A total of 65 workers in the department have received pink slips, according to Parks and Recreation spokesman Hindolo Brima. The department’s planned $8.3 million in cuts includes layoffs.

Combs told the City Council last week that if the department is going to suffer severe budget cuts, then the department may consider working with the private sector, as well as Parks and Recreation staffers, for maintenance services at city parks.

He also said he would be meeting with several neighborhood groups that have indicated they want to enhance maintenance in their local parks.

The situation for Parks and Recreation may soon change if Stationary Engineers Local 39, the union that represents parks workers, makes concessions to city managers.

Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Stationary Engineers Local 39, was not immediately available for comment Friday. The union represents a wide variety of workers in numerous city departments, including code enforcement, parks and recreation, parking enforcemen and the solid waste division.

800 pink slips for county employees

The county’s approval of its proposed 2009/2010 budget last week means that 800 employees may lose their jobs.

In September, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will adopt the fiscal year’s final budget.

Budget damage to District Attorney’s office lessened

There’s no doubt that the county’s budget crisis is resulting in dramatic cuts and layoffs. But when it comes to the District Attorney’s office, the budget situation has improved.

The D.A.’s office lowered its budget gap to $1.7 million from $13.1 million in May. The most recent numbers for the D.A.’s office are 18 possible layoffs and 45 unfunded positions, said Shelly Orio, spokeswoman for the D.A.’s office.

The recent figures may change because the county is still negotiating with four unions that represent employees in the D.A.’s office, Orio said. The D.A.’s office is also still waiting for clarification on some of the decisions made by the Board of Supervisors last week.

In May, Sacramento County District Attorney Jan Scully said she would have to cut major units, such as elder abuse and major narcotics, if she had to resolve a $13.1 million deficit.

“The good news is that no prosecution units will be completely eliminated,” Scully told the Board June 10.

See the D.A.’s June 10 presentation for more information on the office’s numbers.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Residents continue campaign against budget cuts to parks

2009-05-28T03:07:40Z

A group of residents is continuing a campaign against proposed budget cuts to local parks after city staffers this week did not support the group’s proposals.

The group, called Rescue Sacramento Parks, has pitched the City Council several proposals to sustain parks services as the city addresses its projected $50 million deficit for the 2009/2010 fiscal year.

Among many other proposed budget cuts, the city is proposing to slash about $8.3 million and 145 positions from its Department of Parks and Recreation. Rescue Sacramento Parks is worried the proposed cuts to parks will lead to blight and public health and safety problems.

Craig Powell, the group’s chairman, said some of the group’s members will meet Thursday with Parks and Recreation staff “in an effort to find a solution.”

Rescue Sacramento Parks also plans to spread its message to more neighborhood associations, according to Powell. The group’s members participate in neighborhood groups.

Among other suggestions, the group asked City Council to work with the private sector for park maintenance and study whether the city can make more cuts to recreation programs. The group argues that more reductions to recreation programs could lessen the damage to park maintenance services. The City Council last week asked city staffers to analyze the group’s proposals.

In a report to the City Council this week, city staff agreed with residents that privatization of services would save money, but also pointed out drawbacks to the group’s idea.

Moving park maintenance services to the private sector would save an amount of money “estimated to be in excess of 40 percent,” the city staff report notes.

But the cost savings would have downsides, according to the report. “However, the service level would be minimal and response to customers would be reduced,” the report states. “Privatization of basic park maintenance would continue to require city staff to provide contract management and inspection, and more specialized services including irrigation system oversight and emergency repair and oversight of park facilities such as playgrounds, tot lots, all-weather fields, sports courts, picnic and seating areas.”

City staff also wrote that recreation programs should not face cuts on top of the reductions already planned. The department “does not agree that park maintenance should be fully restored at the expense of recreation programs and services; park planning, design and development; grant administration; and other crucial administrative and fiscal services,” the report states.

Rescue Sacramento Parks appreciated the City Council’s decision last week to ask city staff to study the group’s proposals, according to Powell.

But the group is upset that the City Council is not moving on the idea to work with the private sector on park maintenance services. The group is “very disappointed at the Council’s unwillingness to seize the opportunity to save millions of taxpayer dollars while simultaneously restoring basic park maintenance through privatization of park maintenance,” Powell said.

The group had suggested that the city use privatization as a bargaining chip with one of the city’s major unions, Stationary Engineers Local 39. Rescue Sacramento Parks proposed that the city work with the private sector for park maintenance services if Local 39, which includes parks workers, does not make concessions.

Local 39 is currently in negotiations with the city. Joan Bryant, director of public employees for Local 39, was not immediately available to return phone calls Wednesday afternoon.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City: Layoffs to occur even with union concessions

2009-05-08T00:51:04Z

City management will still need to lay off staff even if all of its unions make concessions, according to the city’s finance director.

Sacramento Finance Director Leyne Milstein said she could not say how many layoffs would be needed if all the unions make concessions. That’s because the City Council will make the final decisions on cuts to services and programs, Milstein said.

Concessions from the unions will not create enough savings to avoid layoffs, Milstein said.

The city’s proposed budget aims to resolve a $50 million deficit.

If the unions do not make concessions, city management plans to lay off 189 city employees.

At its May 19 meeting, the City Council will address the proposed budget.

The city is in negotiations with its unions, which include the firefighters’ union, Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522, and the Stationary Engineers Local 39. Sacramento government has eight labor unions.

The Sacramento Police Officers Association is the lone union at this time that has made concessions.