Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign an executive order requiring unpaid furloughs two days a month for state employees beginning in February to help the state meet its cash-flow-problems. Click here to read the details.
There are about 11,000 state workers in Fresno County, 2,500 in Madera County and 2,200 in Tulare County.
The furloughs reportedly would run through June of 2010.
The governor, who is in Fresno today, also is going to call another special session of the Legislature. Here's a story on the details.
Good Luck on that one.These guys are as arrogant as the UAW punks.Stay tuned for the customary lawsuit claiming it's unfair.Meanwhile the state circles the toilet bowl.
In my humble opinion, it’s wrong for the governor to unilaterally furlough and dismiss state employees as a means of addressing the state budget crisis. Most rank and file state workers are union members which under Federally established collective bargaining laws mandate employers, in this case the State of California negotiate in good faith with employee unions. This unilateral executive order violates this law, known as the Wagner act.
The executive order to furlough state employees and cut 10% of the General Fund employee positions is only part of an entire stimulus package the governor unilaterally implemented which includes but is not limited to a reduction in various government services and tax increases in the form of new and increased existing sales taxes for all Californians.
By furloughing and laying off state employees, those people and their families, which amount to roughly 265,000 workers, will bear more of the burden than the rest of the population of California. They will not only be shorted about 9% of their net pay (I don't know about you but if I took 9% of your pay, you would likely kick and scream too) but they, like the rest of the population of California have to endure the tax increases and reduced services that our California government previously provided to its entire population prior to the implementation of this executive order. How is this “fair”?
There are "statistics" that have been circling the net claiming that California state employees enjoy higher pay than similarly situated positions in the general public. Sorry, but that not entirely true. While most of the non skilled state positions (like data entry, janitorial and general labor positions) enjoy a slightly higher pay scale than their public sector employee counterparts, semi skilled, skilled and professional positions are right on par with or under the California national average. This can be confirmed by checking the California state SPB website and checking salary ranges, then cross compare those salaries with the same job salaries in the general public.
As opposed the singling out a large group of dedicated, law abiding and hard working people, in this case California state employees, our governor should work with as opposed to against the California legislature, both Republican and Democrat as well as union officials to come to a solution to this financial crisis that is equitable for all Californians.
What is there to say? As usual, it is the responsibility of the state workers to foot the bill for the mistakes that are made by the higher-ups. We get a 9% cut in our wages while the legislators get a raise in pay. They went on vacation when they couldn't come up with a solution to the budget crisis.
The state government wastes millions of dollars each year on purchasing things they don't really need. It's the old "spend it or lose it" theory.
Why don't they ever address that, instead of going after the state worker that is barely getting by as it is. Soon, I will not be able to afford to go to work. How will this help the economy when it will force people to stop spending money? I wonder.
Harold...I agree with your evaluation of the legislature but not the propoganda of the"State Worker".You guys have been taking all the "Goodies" for years and demanding more through your unions so accept partial responsibilty for the mess the state is in. As far as your job...If it's so bad quit and join the "Private Sector" where results count.No sympathy here.
Well I am glad you agree about the legislator, but not about the state worker. We waited 4 years for a 5% raise so I would like to know what "goodies" you are talking about.
How is it that a person like me who gets a monthly salary and no perks is responsible for the mess the state is in? I don't make any decisions about spending in the state. I am against the wasteful spending that I have seen over the 20 years I have worked for the state. The unions negotiate for raises which is their job.
I think you are misinformed about the "state worker", and going to the private sector is not so easy when you are 60 years old and have 20 years with the state and are on the tier 2 program (thanks to Pete Wilson), and will only get a portion of what you would have received on the tier 1.
Yes, it is true that there are employees within the state that are probably overpaid, but there are a whole lot more that are just average state workers who are not paid any more than what they would get in the private sector.
The legislature are the ones with the perks not the average state worker. It is because of them that there are a shortage of state workers like social workers to handle the caseloads resulting in the death of a child. They all have their office in Sacramento where they should be not an office close to their home. Perhaps if they were in Sac they could get something done. It ticks me off that they want to lay off state workers while they dont have to take a hit at all.
I totally agree with you Jackie.There are state workers who do very little and get paid a lot of money and so people who do not work for the state generalize that all state workers sit at a desk with their feet up.
I too am upset that the legislators don't have to bear any responsibility. Heaven forbid that they might have to give up their state vehicle and drive their own car to work.
Go figure.
Who do you think we state employees are, guinea pigs? I'm a UCSC college graduate making a little over $50,000, own with my wife (an LA 2nd grade school teacher) a townhouse (we can't even afford a real house in Los Angeles), pay a myriad of other expenses and now take a pay cut to alleviate California's debt crisis? Please! My hard work involves trying to prevent investment advisers and broker dealers from scamming consumers!!! You people think that the 2 days a month I would need to prevent YOU from suffering a financial loss is unsubstantial to the cause? Put yourself in my shoes. The $200+ or whatever it is for the next 18 months equal $3,600. That is easily a one month's mortgage payment!!!! The $200+ is grocery for two people...what about the kids??? You people may have your bias opinions of state workers driving state cars, but I DON'T HAVE ONE! You are obviously sitting pretty in your cubicle or office knowing that the pay cut doesn't apply to you, so why don't you put your money where your moth is and issue me the $200+ I need for the next 18 months so that you would know what it feels like to be forced to have a pay cut, and not have any say to the contrary!