Lockport, NY (WBEN) Niagara County and the CSEA have agreed to a plan for temporary layoffs.
“Working with the counsel of Majority Leader Randy Bradt and Minority Leader Dennis Virtuoso, we were able to reach an agreement with CSEA, which represents approximately 800 Niagara County employees, on a plan for voluntary, temporary layoffs that will begin the close of business Friday, May 8th and continue through Friday, July 31, 2020. I appreciate the efforts of CSEA leadership, particularly Sue Young and Dom Luna, who worked in partnership with us to reach this agreement," says Niagara County Manager Rick Updegrove.
County operations have been significantly curtailed, says Updegrove, creating a temporary situation where the workforce can be reduced without a negative impact to operations. He adds revenue projections indicate that labor costs for 2020 need to be reduced. Anywhere from 10 to 20 percent of the workforce could be asked to take part.
“In this agreement, CSEA members who take the voluntary layoff will maintain continued seniority for all purposes, leave accruals, and healthcare benefits for the duration of this voluntary temporary layoff. In return, CSEA waived various contractual provisions which allowed the county to expedite the temporary workforce reduction," adds Updegrove. “The county will identify which employees are selected to participate in the voluntary temporary layoff initiative based on job duties. This is the first step in what will be a continuing process to evaluate ways to reduce costs, balance our budget and reconfigure the way Niagara County delivers essential services.”