March 5, 2009
States shave workforce to save money
California is the leader in furloughing; about 238,000 state workers are being forced to take off the first and third Fridays of each month, known as "Furlough Fridays." The days off, which began in February and are slated to continue until mid-2010, amount to a 9.3 percent pay cut.
State employees at around-the-clock facilities, such as prisons, can choose what days they take off, but according to a California Correctional Peace Officers Association spokesman, the shortage of prison guards means that guards can't take furloughs. So most state prison guards still work their usual hours — at the same time their pay is cut.
"In essence, our members are working for free," said the association's Lance Corcoran. "We still have 160,000 inmates and we're going to continue to have inmates. The reality is, their doors need to be open, they need to be fed, they need to be supervised."
Corcoran, who is also a state correctional officer, says his reduced salary is affecting his family. "I'm looking at the potential of losing my home, we're cutting costs everywhere we can … As state employees, not only are we getting the reduction in pay, we're subject to a higher income tax, higher sales tax , so it's a double-whammy for us," he said…
LINK - Stateline.org
