15,000 City Employees in San Francisco Face Layoffs and Shorter Weeks

Over 15,000 city employees in San Francisco will be laid off on Friday. Mayor Gavin Newsom says that most of them will be rehired if they agree to a shorter work week. Newsom’s plan is a response to the $522 million budget deficit the city is facing in the 2010-2011 fiscal year. The majority of 26,000 city workers will be rehired within 60 days and shift from a 40 hour work week to a 37.5 hour work week, cutting paychecks by 6.25% under the plan. It will save the city $100 million; half in the city’s general operating fund and half in money-generating departments including port and airport.

Newsom has said that some of Friday’s 15,000 layoffs will not be rehired but will not specify a number. Librarians, gardeners, secretaries, clerks, street cleaners, and janitors are slated to receive lay off notices along with other types of employees.

Unions and some supervisors are highly critical of the plan, believing it is a blow to rank and file employees. Union officials also note that Newsom cannot promise that there will not be future layoffs. Several San Francisco unions have formed the “Public Employees Committee” to propose alternative solutions to the budget deficit.