More fallout from efforts to close Kern County's budget gap. Local union representatives accuse county supervisors of not doing their jobs.
The unions for thousands of county employees are angry over pay cuts supervisors are asking for from workers. County supervisors were faced with closing a 37-million dollar budget gap. And last week they presented a budget that hinges on county workers agreeing to a hefty pay cut.
"If those concessions do not equal that amount, we will be coming before the board of supervisors to discuss what other possible solutions exist, up to and including, layoffs," said County Administrative Officer John Nilon. That's the ultimatum from county supervisors to county employees.
"We think that those are outlandish," said Regina Kane with SEIU's negotiating committee.
At last week's budget hearings supervisors approved a budget for the next fiscal year. It depends on county workers agreeing to salary reductions of up to 13.5 percent, along with employee contributions of 20-percent towards their health insurance, and up to full contributions to their pension plans.
Local union representatives say it shows a disregard for county workers. "The board of supervisors did not do it's job when it had the chance many months ago in looking at ways to cut the waste in the county," said Kane.
"Do you reduce services for instance sheriff's services or fire services, or does everybody come to the table and give a little bit to make those payments," said Nilon. Nilon says 80-percent of the county's budget is salary and benefits so that's where cuts have to come from.
A representative for the fire-fighters' union, says he doesn't agree with supervisor's requests either, and that it's a slap in the face because they're basically negotiating in public instead of in closed session. Both union representatives believe supervisors could have found other places to cut, and say supervisors did not do their jobs.
"This board of supervisors analyzed the budget to excruciating detail to come up with what they believe is the best public policy. And people can criticize it or say it's a great idea and we just leave it at that."
Already the county plans to lay of 60 workers, how many more will lose their jobs depends on what happens in negotiations.
