The Oregon public employe., June 01, 1981, Page 6, Image 6

S P E C IA L
R E P O R T
S P E C
IA L
R E P O R T
“Are you sure we have to accept v hat the State says about layoffs?”
In a tight money situation everyone m ist pitch-in to help solve the
problem. I ’ve been told the most accepted cay to deal with shortfalls is
through some sort o f reduced employme \t. This can include unpaid
holidays and vacations, furloughs, shorten <d work weeks, job sharing or
any o f a number o f other plans. This mak s a lot o f sense because, with
unemployment already so high, we need icj keep everybody working— no
matter how little.
I f you take a holiday, a furlougi. a reduced work week or any other form o f
a layoff, you never get back w at you gave up. You contribute to help
overcome the shortfall, but you i re never rewarded.
In addition, you m ust askyoun elf how long you can live on less pay or no
pay at all?
Then there is the question o f th ’ extra work load. Will you get additional
compensation for providing the si me services with fewer workers ? A n d who
will decide how the additional w irk will be allocated?
This is not a short-term crisis ir, need o f short-term answers. Layoffs were
the answer in Marion County beca use that was a short-term problem. What
we have here is a change in \the focus o f government. People have
overwhelmingly said that they want less government— that they won’t pay
for the number o f services we now have.
>
The legislature has already mandated that the equivalent o f 700 full-time
positions be terminated. So we really must accept that layoffs are inevitable.
One o f the problems with mandated layoffs is determining who' will be
layed-off? Will it be an even, across-the-board cut in all agencies ? This would
be hard to do at M ental Health institutions where they are already short o f
staff. A nd could you really shorten the work week to four days at O S C I and
give guards Friday off?
I f employes are going to be forced to accept some form o f layoffs, they
should be given equal input as to how and where these cutbacks will take
place.
In many instances food stamps, unenwloyment benefits and other
assistance is available for employes who arejorced to accept a reduced work
week. So in reality a reduced work week mpv not be as hard as you may
think.
In most cases this ju st is not trice. Assistance from the State in the form o f
unemployment insurance and food stamps is technically available for
employes who have been totally\layed-off, even if the layoff is only for a
short period. However, if the employe volunteers for layoff or accepts a
reduced work week, he or she mdy not be eligible.
Financially these programs are no substitute for a job. The amount o f
assistance you can receive each' month is offset by any income for that
month. So once your income exceeds the maximum benefit, assistance is cut
off.
A good exam ple is the four-person family. Their maximum m onthly food
stamp benefit is $233, which they will receive only if they have no. income. I f
one person receives a part o f their former m onthly income (perhaps because
o f a reduced work week) benefits decrease proportionately.
The same is true for unemployment insurance where the maximum
weekly benefit is $138. However - a portion o f unemployment benefits are
considered m onthly income by -AiFS, thus reducing food stamp benefits.
I f you agree to accept some form of reduced employment— ifyouagreeyou
should bear this type o f burden to help the State weather its financial
shortfall— will you be rewarded for your effort?
I f you are singled out to take some form o f layoff without the guarantee o f
increased wages or some other reua rd, then you are being forced to accept a
tax— that no other citizen is required to pay— in order to help the State
through financially hard times.
This sharing is really nothing more than state management and some
legislators holding state employes hostage to what they say is a short-term
finan cial crisis.
B ut the real issue is not one of. layoffs, it is one o f less government. The
people have expressed this desire at the ballot box. Now it is tim e for these
citizens and their legislators to decide what services they want to cut and
when and how to do it.
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Illustrations by Phil Fehrenbacher
Some forms o f sharing by management and employes m ust be done i f the
State is to weather this crisis. This is an option that always should be
considered, but is an option that must be Approached in an atmosphere
where management and labor are not taking adversarial positions.
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