Disagreement Over How Many State Workers Will Lose Jobs
» Gatehouse News Service - 29 August 2008
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Blagojevich administration’s large number of layoff notices have set off a new debate over how many state workers could end up out of a job.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union announced Thursday it had been notified of more than 450 layoffs. That’s the same number of positions the governor’s office acknowledged is being affected in four agencies.
But the administration says the 450 total is misleading.
Most of the layoffs are at the Department of Children and Family Services. The agency said its layoffs are affecting 306 positions, and the union says 289 of those are its members.
But DCFS will lose only 179 employees because some of those laid off are expected to transfer to “higher-need positions and higher-need offices,” DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlowe said Friday.
So, the administration argues, the layoff total should be reported as 325, not 450.
AFSCME stands by the 450 tally because that is the number of employees who are getting layoff notices.
» Gatehouse News Service - 29 August 2008
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Blagojevich administration’s large number of layoff notices have set off a new debate over how many state workers could end up out of a job.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union announced Thursday it had been notified of more than 450 layoffs. That’s the same number of positions the governor’s office acknowledged is being affected in four agencies.
But the administration says the 450 total is misleading.
Most of the layoffs are at the Department of Children and Family Services. The agency said its layoffs are affecting 306 positions, and the union says 289 of those are its members.
But DCFS will lose only 179 employees because some of those laid off are expected to transfer to “higher-need positions and higher-need offices,” DCFS spokesman Kendall Marlowe said Friday.
So, the administration argues, the layoff total should be reported as 325, not 450.
AFSCME stands by the 450 tally because that is the number of employees who are getting layoff notices.
