Closed Session (4)
Public Comment
From:Moses Johnson
Sent:Monday, February 8, 2021 5:24 PM
To:Public Comment; Theresa Bass; Jim Vanderpool; Linda Andal; Gretchen R. Beatty
Subject:Item 1 Closed Session Agenda Feb. 9th
Dear City Clerk,
Please distribute to the City Council and confirm that you received this email.
Dear Mayor and City Council,
One of the major items we are requesting in our MOU proposal is No Layoffs, No
Furloughs. Why? Because the City offered us a 10% package one year ago but because the
City dragged its feet in negotiations our MOU was caught up in the COVID-19 pandemic and
not finalized. If the City does a furlough (day off every 2 weeks) it will result in City
employees taking a 10% pay cut. Because we did not get the 10% package that was offered we
have already taken a 10% pay cut. We have not had a fully funded range adjustment since June
of 2009, almost 12 years ago. With inflation we are making less in real dollars than before the
Great Recession. During the City budget update last December City Full-Time Staffing is
down from 1,946 employees, to 1,724, a loss of 222 full-time employees
(11.4%). The City is asking us again to do more with less. The City has done enough
cutting. The City needs to find another way to balance its budget.
Further, it looks like the Federal Govt. is going to adopt a Stimulus Package soon with $350
billion in local aid. The City of Anaheim will receive millions to make up for its tax revenue
losses. With vaccines being given out more and more each day it is likely that our City will
begin to return to normal by the end of this summer.
I have previously written to you that due to the unprecedented, multifaceted COVID-19
response, including the shutdown of our local economy, the City is facing a revenue
shortfall over the next 2 years.
The City is considering LAYING OFF and/or furloughs for City staff and/or reducing public
services, and may take both actions. Public services will be adversely affected and there
will be cuts to many municipal services.
The crippling impact to the City’s budget will impact residents, businesses and City
workers. The same City workers who have been on the front lines throughout this crisis
working tirelessly to protect and serve our City’s residents will be facing layoffs and/or
furloughs, and the community will be hit by cuts to essential services.
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Job cuts will not only hurt essential City workers and their families but will adversely affect
their lives as well. The City will cut or furlough essential local government workers and the
core services they deliver. This means delayed repairs to streets and sidewalks, and
limited hours for parks and senior centers, just to name a few of the core services under
threat.
The stakes are too high.
The City should support critical local services and the City workers that provide them.
Council policymakers face a formidable task building the City’s budget for the coming 2
years. While I know there will be tough decisions about how to allocate funds to best
position the City’s recovery, one thing is clear: City workers are essential, both to our
safety and to our recovery.
City workers are the engine of our City, and the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis starts
with them.
The road to recovery will be long and hard but it will be even longer if we let our City
workers go or furlough them instead of harnessing their vital economic and social
strengths. Providing funding for City workers is not optional – it is a necessity if we want a
vibrant City services and strong economy.
Please do not layoff or furlough City employees. Find another way to balance the budget.
We will work with you to find creative new ways to balance the budget and come to a final
MOU.
Moses Johnson, Acting President AFSCME/MAC
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