Wayne County Workers Get Reprieve From Temporary Layoffs

The Chicago Tribune reports that some 700 employees of Michigan’s Wayne County will not, for the moment, face temporary layoffs.  The County planned to implement a period of unpaid time off for workers following the Memorial Day long weekend in an effort to save the county approximately $1.5 billion.

In order to give union leaders of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees time to consider a number of concessions in its current contract negotiations, the upcoming mandatory one week furlough period was canceled.  It was to be a first in a series of such temporary layoffs implemented to help assuage some of the County’s $100 million deficit.   The County is asking union negotiators to agree to a 10 percent pay cut.  Nearly three fourth of the workers unions affected have agreed.