FACING A $3 million budget shortfall — worse than that of last year — Grays Harbor County commissioners proposed earlier this year that, to cut costs, Council 2 county employees give up their cost-of-living adjustments for 2010, give up step increases, reduce the county’s contribution to dependent medical by $162 a month and take one furlough day a month.
“That represented an enormous amount of takeaways,” explains Council 2 Staff Representative Kathy Brown.
Council 2 bargaining units in Local 275 took the proposal to their members. “Absolutely not,” members said. “We’re not going back to 1990 compensation packages.”
In order to find a better solution, local leaders representing the 264 members of Local 275 and Brown held several meetings with the county commissioners.
“We ran the numbers and discussed ideas,” Brown says. “After several meetings, we ended up with a memorandum of understanding in which our members could voluntarily take furlough days next year to avoid layoffs and/or could contribute toward dependent medical premiums. Wages will not be adjusted.”
The agreements differ from department to department, Brown adds. “For example the courthouse and public services agreements allow for layoffs and in some departments furloughs will not work.”
The county is tentatively looking at a total of 12 layoffs, some of which will be in the courthouse and public service bargaining units, Brown adds.
Union members will also work with the state in the state-run shared-work program, which aids workers financially, to lessen the impact of the furlough days.
