With union deal off, Newsom says 1,000 jobs cut

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/15/MN1317LM5L.DTL&tsp=1

Marisa Lagos,John Coté, Chr

Mayor Gavin Newsom said Friday that 1,000 city workers would lose their jobs in the coming months to help close a growing budget deficit, a swift response after the city's biggest union this week rejected $38 million in wage concessions.

The layoffs will hurt all city departments, according to the mayor's office, but will have the most drastic effect on the Department of Public Health, the city's largest agency. In addition to health care workers, recreation directors, security guards and others will lose their jobs.

A total of 262 city workers have already lost their jobs over the past six months, and hundreds more vacant positions have been eliminated. The city employs about 29,000 people, from workers at the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir to park gardeners, according to June data from the controller's office.

Newsom spokesman Nathan Ballard blamed the layoffs - which will affect workers in most city unions - squarely on Service Employees International Union Local 1021. SEIU represents more than 11,000 city employees.

That union voted 56 percent to 44 percent this week to reject an agreement negotiated by union leaders that included keeping a 3.75 percent pay increase. But the deal would have eliminated holiday pay for 11 days in 2009 and 2010 - though workers would still receive time and a half if they worked holidays and would get to accrue nine floating holidays. The deal also would have meant no layoffs until after Nov. 15.

FULL story at link.