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Unions Push Back on Redding Budget Cuts Set for Today
As the city of Redding prepared for a Monday marathon budget-cutting meeting (closed session 5:15 p.m. at council chambers; open session to start about 6:30), the Joint Council of Public Employee Unions was re-emphasizing its opposition to cutbacks in personnel. Posted Sunday:
Joint Council Takes On City Hall
REDDING - The Joint Council of Redding Employee Unions (JCREU) issued letters to the Redding City Council Thursday, December 11th urging them to look at all options before cutting employees. City Manager Kurt Starman targeted firemen, police and general services employees to build the City reserve. The Joint Council believes the City should look at other areas to cut the budget other than personnel. “It’s the same politics as usual in Redding,” said Chris Darker, Council Coordinator. “If you have to cut jobs, cut the people at the top and leave those who protect and save lives and property, and provide city services off the chopping block. Cutting the Neighborhood Police Program and cutting Firefighters makes no sense to the JCREU Council”, said Darker.
Redding Labor Unions were called in one at a time to meet with City Manager Starman who asked union leadership if they wanted cuts to their benefits or layoffs. The JCREU called for a meeting with Staman where the leadership of every union met with Starman at the same time. Union reps asked for the entire list of cuts submitted by department heads. Starman refused stating the list would unnecessarily scare employees. Union reps also asked if they took cuts in benefits would it save them from layoffs. Starman said cuts may not be enough and even though members might agree to benefit cuts layoffs could be necessary as well. Every union stated they would not sacrifice benefits.
The JCREU called for town hall meetings to allow the public to comment on cuts in services. “I think everytime Government wants to cut services, especially police and fire, it should trigger public meetings. If we didn’t stand up together and say something about these outrageous cuts, it could have been rubber stamped by the Council on Monday,” said Darker.
The JCREU was formed in 2006 by 13 Redding Unions.
The joint council also ran radio ads all weekend and into Monday saying this:
REDDING IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK…. OR IS IT?
Your City Manager, Kurt Starman is proposing to cut jobs and cut basic essential services to our citizens! This Monday City Council Members will be urged to make decisions that will affect our city for years to come!
Your new City Council should take the time to review every available option before cutting these services.
Clean, safe streets and parks, fire and police protection, garbage pickup and power should be a priority.
The City of Redding held a Town Hall meeting to discuss Utility Rate increases……likewise we should have a Town Hall Meeting for public input on cuts in basic essential services!
Leaders from core city department’s including police and fire protection, electric, water and community services propose a Town Hall Meeting on January 5th to review all implications and suggest proactive solutions to meet this budget shortfall.
TAKE TIME TO THINK, TAKE TIME TO CARE. BECOME INVOLVED BY ATTENDING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND ASSIST OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ADDRESS SERVICES YOUR TAX DOLLARS PAY FOR.
City employees care about Redding, as our motto says,
“Working together … to improve our Community”
Previously:
City of Redding Proposes Cutting 14 Employees, 9 Open Positions, Several Services
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Kelly, The JCREU says cut jobs at the top. Good idea, but it ain’t going to happen!
The firing will happen at the bottem rung of these essential services and it won’t be pretty.
Our city manager, Kurt Starman, has made his proposed cuts and any union who thinks
otherwise is just whistling in the wind.
It’s now left to our astute city council to decide what’s best for our city’s services.
In tough economic times the choices are few.
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As I have said before, I hope there are no job cuts. There has to be a compromise on both sides: the City and the union. We don’t need anymore layoffs in this city. Perhaps the city has spent too much on frivolous projects. Save for the rainy days, or no rainy days as we have now. We knew the bubble would have to burst one day.
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A City of Redding Fable
The City of Redding was challenged to a canoe race by a local sales team. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.
On the big day, the salespeople won by a mile.
The City team, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reasons for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.
Their conclusion was the sales team had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the City team had 7 people steering and 2 people rowing.
Feeling a deeper study was in order, the City hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.
Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another humiliating loss, the rowing team’s management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 2 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.
They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 2 people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the ‘Rowing Team Quality First Program,’ with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rowers. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to ‘equal the competition’ and some of the resultant savings were channeled into morale-boosting programs and teamwork posters.
The next year the sales team won by two miles.
Humiliated, the City laid off one rower, halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to senior management staff.
The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was fired for unacceptable performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year’s racing team was contracted out.
Sadly: The End
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