Mass layoffs threaten New York state and city employees

[Hannah Bell]

By William Moore
11 April 2009

New York’s Democratic Governor David Paterson is moving forward with a plan to lay off nearly 9,000 state workers...While expressing regret regarding the need to take this action, the governor repeated his claim that he has no alternative because of the refusal by state employee unions to accept cuts in their existing contracts...

The job cuts will reportedly represent 6.6 percent of each agency’s unionized workforce. The majority of the cuts will take place in agencies that affect health, education, welfare, recreation or other necessary services. Among the hardest hit agencies would be the departments of Mental Retardation and Mental Health, which would lose 1,434 workers and 1,054 respectively. The Department of Health would see 366 layoffs...

Notably, no cuts will be made to the governor’s executive staff, which was significantly augmented since Paterson took over from Eliot Spitzer a year ago...

Meanwhile, New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg threatened Wednesday to lay off 7,000 city workers...on top of 1,300 already proposed and another 8,000 jobs to be eliminated through attrition.

The billionaire Bloomberg said that workers could only avoid the job cuts if they agree to work with the city to amend state pension laws to provide lower benefits and to accept co-pays on their health insurance premiums....“This is not a negotiating strategy,” said Bloomberg. “Pension costs and health costs...are going to bankrupt this city.”

What is bankrupting the city, as well as the state, is the collapse of revenues from Wall Street, where Bloomberg made his fortune. Now workers are being told to pay for the financial crisis that he and his associates created...

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/apr2009/nylo-a11.shtml

[Deja Q]

1. Yup. Managers are gods and don't need to take any cuts - what they do makes or breaks the company.

Hmmm, how's AIG and GM and Enron and Chrysler and Bear Sterns doing again? That's right! They decided to pummel the companies, rip off those who invested and/or worked there, and get out with golden parachutes allowing them to live 450 years (or more) amortized at a meager $50k/yr.

[glowing]

2. and when everyone is losing their jobs and need these agencies more,

the doors a shuttering, lines are longer, and the need is greater... AND now, Patterson in adding to the unemployment line. Its not like these state workers are making a ton of money, especially in the area of health services. AND its not like these workers are going to easily pick up alternative work. So, their lives snowball into debt spirals and foreclosures and disruption in their personal lives and spending patterns. The last thing these states need to do is lay anyone off.. Perhaps, its time for the federal govt to step in and pay all state workers this year; thereby freeing up much revenue for other areas of need. The last thing we need now is for more people to lose their jobs.

[vadawg]

3. Whats the alternative to layoffs, if theirs only so much money somethings got to give

would love to hear of a viable alternative.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. First, Bloomberg didn't make his money as a...

Wall Street operator-- the business was, and still largely is, news and his Bloomberg terminals.

Next, NY State is broke for a lot of reasons, but Sheldon Silver's ever-expanding mass of pork is a large part of it. Hundreds of millions in stupid projects to buy the loyalty of the Assembly-- and now the Senate. Just like those "earmarks" everyone hates.

And last, one point of view is that everyone should have the benefits that state and city workers get.

Another point of view is that since they are the almost the only ones left with full health care and defined benefit pensions, when yer average Joe or Jane looks out the window at the pothole that hasn't been fixed for a month, it's hard to convince them that gummint workers are worth the money.

[Hannah Bell]

9. "Bloomberg became a general partner at Salomon Brothers,

where he headed equity trading and, later, systems development. In 1981, he was fired from Salomon Brothers and was given a $10 million severance package <12>. Using this money, Bloomberg went on to set up a company named Innovative Market Systems."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Bloomberg


He made the money for his terminals on Wall Street. *partner* at salomon.



and yes, everyone *should* have the bennies city workers get - or maybe the bennies folks like bloomberg get.

your stance seems to be that since everyone doesn't, bloomberg should keep his, but city workers should get laid off.

[Historic NY]

5. The Accidental Governor isn't running again......

not after giving his staff raises & then taking away raises from state employees. He is trying his hand at Union Busting.

[lib2DaBone]

6. Once again they blame the workers...."if it wasn't for those damm greedy employees"..

[adamuu]

7. yeah really. if they didn't work so hard for so many years, for deferred compensation,

we wouldn't be in this awful jam, now!
Promises, schmomises, they'll bankrupt this city!

[Berry Cool]

8. I'm so glad I don't work for that state anymore.

Look at the crap they pull on you--and at the same time, you're subject to some of the highest state taxes in the country, no matter how little money you make.

[Hannah Bell]

10. kick

[Supersedeas]

11. coming to a State, County and City near you