State worker layoffs hit home:

The Olympian
Olympia, Washington

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Home Page Stories Wednesday, March 6, 2002

State worker layoffs hit home

OLYMPIA -- The state's financial problems hit home Tuesday for 28 employees at the Maple Lane School in Centralia, a juvenile detention facility.

The workers got a memo confirming that the school's 64-bed Columbia Cottage will close.

"There's a lot of anxiety over this," said Dan McNamara, a maintenance worker and union shop steward at the school. "A lot of senior people are looking at getting 'reduction-in-force' letters.

"There are people who are going to lose jobs."

Hundreds of state employees throughout South Sound and around the state could face similar circumstances during the next few weeks as the Legislature prepares a budget to make up the state's $1.6 billion budget shortfall.

The Senate Democratic proposal to do that, which was released to the public Tuesday, would cut 1,500 full-time state employees. Few state agencies and institutions are spared in the Senate plan.

The Department of Social and Health Services would reduce its work force by 374 employees. The Department of Ecology would lose 69 workers. The Evergreen State College would have to cut 14 jobs.

As the home of state government, Thurston County faces a disproportionate hit in whatever layoffs eventually take place. Of the roughly 132,500 members of the state work force, about 24,200 are based in Thurston County.

No one yet seems to have a clear idea which workers are at risk of layoff. Senate and House negotiators are trying to pass a final budget plan by March 14 that will be sent to Gov. Gary Locke for his signature.

That final agreement will include the number of full-time employee reductions in state government. At that point, agencies will begin their reduction-in-force process. Most agencies will do as much as possible to avoid layoffs by not filling jobs left open by retirements or resignations.

'Bumping rights'

Senior state employees who see their jobs eliminated will also be able to invoke "bumping rights," which means they can move into jobs occupied by workers with less seniority.

"There's a long way to go right now between saying we're going to reduce 'X' number of employees, and actually laying off a definite number of employees," said Bonnie Bunning, the executive director for policy and programs at the Department of Natural Resources, which faces a reduction of 32 employees in the Senate plan.

Most state workers are in the dark right now, said Tim Welch, spokesman for the Washington Federation of State Employees. "There aren't any specifics out there," he said.

That is causing anxiety for workers, said Allan Jacobson, a state park ranger who supervises his fellow rangers at state parks in Pierce County. Parks and Recreation faces a reduction of 44 employees.

"People are on edge," said Jacobson, who also is president of the Washington Public Employees Association. "I've got one young guy who knows he'd probably be one of the first to go. That's not a good situation for anyone to be in."

Dixie Corcoran, a shop steward at DSHS, said most workers are trying to keep their heads down and do their jobs.

"We're just waiting to see," Corcoran said. "We're doing the best we can to keep providing quality service to our customers."

During the last few weeks, the Department of Personnel has started assembling materials that will be presented to state workers looking at layoffs. The agency plans to offer seminars at agencies where a large number of employees are likely to lose their jobs.

So far, no seminars have been requested, said Sharon Whitehead, the assistant director of the department. "Essentially, right now, we're waiting," Whitehead said. "Everyone is."

Cuts by the number

In all, the Senate budget plan released Tuesday morning proposes reducing the state's work force by 1,500 full-time positions in fiscal year 2002.

If the Senate budget proposal is passed, not all of the proposed reductions will result directly in layoffs, as some would be achieved through attrition, retirement and efficiency.

Here are the proposed full-time position reductions at several state agencies and institutions, rounded to the nearest whole number:

- Department of Social and Health Services: 374 employees

- University of Washington: 241 employees

- Washington State University: 135 employees

- Department of Fish and Wildlife: 99 employees

- Department of Ecology: 69 employees

- State Parks and Recreation Commission: 44 employees

- Department of Natural Resources: 32 employees

- Department of General Administration: 23 employees

- Department of Veterans Affairs: 18 employees

- The Evergreen State College: 14 employees

- Legislature: 14 employees