Somerville’s Non-Union Employees Save Library Jobs

On June 24, 2010, in Latest News, by The News Staff

Furloughs will save the money necessary to maintain the current level of library staffing

In
order to keep Somerville's libraries at their current staffing levels,
non-union employees in the City government will take a one-week
furlough. This action will allow the library to keep its current
workforce of technicians in place. It also marks the second year in a
row that Somerville's non-union workforce has taken a furlough in order
to help balance the City budget and preserve other jobs inside the City.

The
furloughs will apply to department heads and all non-union staff, as
well as to Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and his executive staff. Unlike in
FY2010, non-union employees will not have the option of taking an
unpaid week of vacation in lieu of the furlough. Also, Mayor Curtatone
warned that, unlike the current furlough which concludes on June 30, he
could not guarantee that the FY11 furlough can be repaid in future
years.

"It's an extraordinary sacrifice by our non-union
employees, who have already given so much in the past," Curtatone said.
"These are people who have gone four years without a raise. They have
only gotten one raise in the past decade. They pay a higher percentage
of their health insurance premiums than anyone else in this City. And
they stepped up last year to take a furlough when many others did not.
A lot of people talk a good game about working families, but these are
hardworking people supporting their families on municipal salaries and
they repeatedly have gone above and beyond in the name of shared
sacrifice."

While the Mayor's proposed budget maintained library
hours, the Library Department had three technician positions
eliminated. As a direct result of the non-union furloughs, those
positions will be restored.

"It is heartening to see the value
this community places on its libraries," said Library Director Nancy
Milnor. "Our department prides itself on the excellence of the service
it provides and this allows us to keep some fine people in our employ.
We thank the Mayor and all the employees reaching into their own
pockets for the library jobs that have been restored."

The
furlough will be incrementally taken out of each non-union employee
paycheck during the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2010 and finishes
June 30, 2011.