Yesterday, September 23, 2009, to discuss the furlough plan the City is seeking to implement. The furlough plan will include mandatory designated days based upon your salary. The mandatory furlough days will require employees to give-up 5 days if they earn less than $ 50,000. An additional 3 furlough days will be imposed on the employees earning salaries included in the range of $50,000 to $100,000 and an additional 5 furlough days will be imposed on employees whose salaries are excess of $100,000. The plan is scheduled to begin on October 5, 2009 and will continue through June 30, 2010.

Under the proposed “furlough” plan members will lose 2 to 3% of their annual salary to reduce the City’s budget. This will not be easily received by the members of AFSCME bargaining units and we will not tolerate unnecessary cuts that affect the lives of our working families.

We have asked the Office of the Labor Commissioner for facts and figures to assess the City’s demands, and to bargain over the effects of a furlough, if adopted. Questions have come up that have not been answered. For example, is this the only wage furlough for FY10, and if this is the last round of cuts will your Administration be willing to extend that promise in writing? Do you believe that there is any likelihood of additional wage concessions or layoffs? We can not further assist in any ratification until we receive some answers!

AFSCME Council 67 has the goal to protect and save jobs first. We need confirmation in writing from the City of Baltimore and the Office of the Labor Commissioner that 1) the furlough plan will be tailored only to collect those amounts absolutely necessary; 2)amounts taken will be returned to all employees affected once the City’s financial situation is corrected ( even if that does not occur until the next fiscal year); 3) the City shall not short contributions needed to adequately fund the Employees’ Retirement System; and 4) there shall be no further furloughs or layoffs in AFSCME bargaining units in FY10.

Without these further assurances we cannot agree to ratify our contract and the bargaining units will not give permission to take away contractually agreed upon wages from any AFSCME Council 67 local in Baltimore City for FY10.

For Immediate Release – Contact: Selena Britton 410-837-7278