Fire, police, school teacher and municipal employee unions have been asked to join non-union workers in providing budget savings (from the city of Somerville) In an effort to preserve more City jobs a midst a budget crisis, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has approached Somerville's largest unions and asked them to follow the example of their non-union co-workers, who have taken a temporary pay cut in order to save three library technician jobs. Many other clerical and custodian jobs still stand to be eliminated if other savings are not found by the July 1 start of the new municipal fiscal year. On Thursday, Curtatone spoke with the heads of the police superior, police patrolmen, firefighter and municipal employee unions, asking them to show solidarity with their union brethren who face layoffs. Curtatone is seeking a 2.5% cost reduction from each of those bargaining units. In addition, the School Committee has approached the school teachers' union asking for similar savings.

"We have heard loud and clear the calls from our union employees for solidarity, and we are hopeful those unions will step up to exhibit that solidarity," Curtatone said. "Non-union employees have sacrificed to save jobs and it is now up to the unions to do the same. The City cannot save those jobs if the unions do not provide the savings."

With a $10-12 million budget gap looming as the city looks ahead to FY2012 and the very real potential of additional cuts in state aid later this calendar year or in early 2011, Curtatone emphasized that the unions must offer sustainable savings.

"We cannot afford to think only of the short-term" he said. "Otherwise we will find ourselves suffering the same plight as other nearby cities and towns that have made deep service cuts."

Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston stated on Thursday night that the state government is "starting to crumble" because the federal government is threatening to pull aid money from the states and that FY2012 looks as if it will be even more brutal when it comes to balancing municipal budgets. She drew a direct connection between these potential cuts and municipal jobs.

"We should make clear the devastation something like this can wreak on a city such as Somerville," she said. "We are not wealthy. We do not have deep pockets. We have people who the only thing they want to do is work. They want to be able to work and they want to be able to live here."

Somerville's Board of Alderman also has taken a temporary pay cut. During Thursday's Board of Aldermen meeting, Ward 7 Alderman Robert C. Trane expressed his hope that union employees would join in the push to protect more of the working families threatened by this budget crisis, praising the Mayor for making this latest overture to the unions.

"Hopefully they're going to step up to the plate here and help their own membership, help their own brothers and sisters," Trane said. "It's in their court now. They can make a big difference in some peoples' lives. These are people we all know. We all grew up with them. We see them daily on the ballfields and in the supermarkets and in the squares around the city."

The City had planned a reduction in force of 10 jobs, with another eight lost via attrition in order to help close its $8.1 million budget gap. The City also has identified a potential savings of $1.2 million that can be achieved by outsourcing school custodial services. Initially, the school custodians were unable to match those savings, but Mayor Curtatone has pledged to continue negotiations.

"We will work around the clock with the custodians to see if they can deliver the quality of service we are seeking for the savings we need to balance our budget," Curtatone said.

Ward 5 Alderman Sean T. O'Donovan added Thursday night that union leadership should heed the calls for shared sacrifice coming from the union membership.

"I know Aldermen have received emails from many union employees expressing a desire and hope that we would be able to hold onto the school custodians," he said.

The City and school unions have been given until noon on Monday, June 28 to respond to this appeal to help save jobs. Curtatone stressed that a show of solidarity from the unions is the last hope for find a way to balance the budget while retaining the maximum possible number of jobs.

"We have stretched every dollar and identified every efficiency," he said. "Non-union workers have done their part. If the unions are not willing to make concessions, then we will have no alternative but to eliminate these positions."

Letter that was given to union leadership by Mayor Curtatone
This past Tuesday evening at the public hearing for the FY11 budget, many people in Somerville came out in support of City employees facing layoffs. They spoke eloquently about the value provided by our librarians and school custodians. In fact, many of the people who made those impassioned speeches were City employees themselves.

Once again, we have heard your pleas and we are willing to work up until the budget deadline next week to pursue alternative solutions.