Broward County School District Unions Agree To Furloughs
A number of Broward County Public Schools bargaining units have voted in favor of a five to six days furloughs for the 2010/2011 school year to help the District with its budget shortfall. The Federation of Public Employees (FOPE) representing approximately 9,000 employees, including clerical, transportation, security specialists and campus monitors, and maintenance and facility workers was the first bargaining unit to agree to a furlough.
“Our members feel that a furlough is the option that makes most sense. By conserving salary dollars, we hope to help the District push back or eliminate the need for additional lay offs and cuts,” said FOPE President Dan Reynolds.
Clerical workers agreed to five furlough days with maintenance and custodial facilities employees taking a sixth unpaid day in an effort to restore jobs for employees who were slated to be laid off. Transportation employees agreed to give back one half hour of each workday, creating a $2 million saving and preventing the District’s loss of 80 bus operators. These concessions are the first time in recent history that any of the School District unions have agreed to furloughs in an attempt to offset budget woes. The School District is facing a nearly $130 million shortfall this fiscal year.
“While our employees bear no responsibility for this financial crisis, I am proud of the incredibly important role they will play in helping to mitigate the impact it will have on our schools,” said Broward Schools Superintendent James F. Notter.
Employees will be encouraged to take furlough days during school vacations to prevent a disruption in service to students and minimize the impact to schools. This may also result in additional energy savings to the District. Other bargaining and non-bargaining groups ratifying furlough agreements include the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, the Broward Confidential Office Personnel Association, the Broward Principals and Assistants Association and the Educational Support and Management Association of Broward.
“Our members have a history of rising to the challenge in times of crisis,” said Lisa Maxell, Director, Broward Principals and Assistants Association (BPAA). “This is no different.”
The District has been working with all of the bargaining and non-bargaining units on this issue since May. While all other union organizations have agreed to a furlough, the Broward Teachers Union (BTU) and the Technical Support Professional Unit (TSP) and Educational Support Professionals (ESP), also represented by the BTU, have yet to negotiate furlough day agreements for 2010/2011. The District will continue to seek agreements with all unions for this fiscal year.
Each furlough day taken by all District employees would save approximately $6.3 million. The savings will be used to bring back laid off workers in these employee groups and help with the District’s financial difficulties.
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Posted by AdamF
on Jul 14 2010. Filed under Broward County, Employment, Families, Fort Lauderdale, Local news, Schools.
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