Concerns grow over potential layoffs for Sacramento city employees amid budget deficit
SACRAMENTO — The City of Sacramento's largest labor union sent a letter to the mayor and city council after receiving notice from the interim city manager about possible layoffs.
Stationary Engineers Local 39's letter describes extreme concern and claims that Interim City Manager Leyne Milstein has told city employees that there "will be layoffs" in order to solve the city's $44 million budget deficit.
Milstein has until the end of this month to decide how to fix the deficit.
Local 39 business representative Payden Martin wrote the letter.
"This is more than just a numbers game. This is people's lives on the line and their livelihoods," Martin said. "I think the point of the letter really is to be more thoughtful in the communications that folks are receiving."
Local 39 represents approximately 1,700 employees across every city department. This includes city employees who work as custodians, park maintenance workers, building inspectors and department of utility workers.
Milstein's office issued a statement in response to the union letter that reads, in part: "These budget balancing strategies are still under review, and the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year has not yet been finalized…"
Every department was asked to submit a proposal for 15% cuts to help solve the city's structural deficit problem.
Milstein's office confirmed to CBS13 that it did notify unions where there is a potential for layoffs. The office also confirmed it did not notify either the police of fire unions of potential layoffs.
The city must give any laid-off employee 30 days' notice in advance of the effective date of their layoff.
April 30 is the day the city manager must have her proposed balanced budget in front of the council.