S.F. budget may pit layoffs against givebacks

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 6/2/8 | Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross

[SmithL]

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom will unveil a record $6.5 billion budget today that includes threatened layoffs of 250 to 350 city workers to help erase a projected $338 million deficit, City Hall sources say.

The layoffs, along with the elimination of hundreds of unfilled positions, would be among the most extensive that City Hall has seen in years - affecting everything from the Public Health Department and Human Services to the Recreation and Park Department.

Whether workers actually lose their jobs, however, may depend in part on whether Newsom gets what he wants from city employee unions - namely, $29 million worth of givebacks.

"The unions that have contributed thus far have definitely helped to save jobs and preserve vital services," Phil Ginsburg, the mayor's chief of staff, said Friday. "Obviously, if additional unions also decide to contribute, it will minimize the impact of a very difficult budget year on all of us."

Without union concessions, the cost to the city of pay raises and improved benefits for the existing workforce - coupled with the expense of new hires - is predicted to hit $143 million next year.

New hires? That's right. The city may be staring at hard times, but it's also taking on a surge of new police officers, nurses and Municipal Railway workers - with Muni alone looking to add 169 positions in fiscal 2008-09.

So far, however, clerks and trade unions have said "no way" to pay cuts.

Firefighters have tentatively agreed to give up some extra pay now, in exchange for sweetened pensions down the road.

[highlander_UW]

Typical liberal ploy...balance the value of loosing 250 to 350 voters and their families against all the votes that can be bought with their salaries once redistributed.

[informavoracious]

Ahhhh, the compassion and superiority of being a sanctuary city. And, I wonder if the transsexual surgery the City pays for will be a giveback?

[Melchior]

That works out to a budget of slightly less than $10,000 per person in San Francisco.

[CoolPapaBoze]

Another arrow in their quiver seems to be deferring all difficult conversations into the future by promising “sweeter” pension benefits. Most of those pension plans are underfunded today, but I guess it will be someone else’s problem to deal with. Either the firefighters, or the taxpayer, are gonna get screwed.

[jmaroneps37]

In san fran they can lay off the last few Americans and save big money hiring illegals. They don’t have to pay social security or Workmen’s Comp and lots of other inconvenient costs that come along with employing honest working Americans. Problem solved!