LIHU‘E — In union-employer negotiation parlance, what the forced Friday off today for many county employees is known as is a “give back” or “concessionary takeaway.” It’s unprecedented, as members of the two major county employee unions, the Hawai‘i Government
LIHU‘E — In union-employer negotiation parlance, what the forced Friday off today for many county employees is known as is a “give back” or “concessionary takeaway.”
It’s unprecedented, as members of the two major county employee unions, the Hawai‘i Government Employees Association and United Public Workers, are used to hearing from leadership the percentage of pay raises they were able to negotiate, not that they’ve agreed to furloughs equivalent to 9-percent pay cuts for many of the workers.
The furloughs of most county workers today (police, fire and a few others excepted) marks the start of a new era in county government, a sign that the 6-percent annual raises county workers used to enjoy are a thing of the distant past.
It’s also the first day when members of the public should get into the habit of calling ahead and seeing if the county agency they intend to visit will even be open for business.
The sticky business of furloughs that amount to nearly-10-percent pay cuts may also impact a county employee’s pension amount, as that monthly benefit is determined in part by percentages of the three years in which the employee earned the most money.
While those close to retirement may opt to retire rather than take the pay cut (delivered by the county through the two forced days off a month for each of the next 12 months — the furlough schedule is at www.kauai.gov), Kaua‘i Police Department Chief Darryl Perry said Thursday in an e-mail that most of the 65 full-time civilian KPD employees (all but 14 dispatchers and four public safety workers in the cell block are subject to furloughs beginning today) should be able to endure as long as the furloughs don’t last more than one year.
“Jobs are hard to find. But I do think if furloughs continue for more than a year, most employees will be seeking part-time employment to augment their income,” said Perry.
“At the beginning it might not have such a big impact, but as bills mount and the savings are depleted employees will undoubtedly look for other sources of revenue out of necessity.”
While the county furlough calendar and holiday schedule means most county employees will work just one Friday in December, the first furlough day in county history, today, is coupled with the Monday Fourth of July holiday to make for a four-day weekend.
Many county workers are off today and go back to work on Tuesday, since Monday, July 5 is a holiday in observance of Independence Day, which falls on Sunday.
The county just released the furlough schedule for fiscal 2011, which started Thursday and runs to June 30, 2011.
Because of furloughs and holidays combined, county workers will have at least 38 days off during this fiscal year, not including vacation and sick days, although 24 of those 38 days will be unpaid furlough days.
Every month has at least one scheduled county holiday, with the exception of October. The following month, however, has three holidays, giving county workers five days off when furlough days and holidays are added together.
In December, “aloha Friday” takes on a new meaning, as most county workers will work only on the first Friday of the month. The next two will be furlough Fridays, and the last two will be holidays (Christmas and New Year).
Six months into the furlough plan, the Kaua‘i County Council is supposed to evaluate the impacts of the plan, and make adjustments if necessary.
