Goodman ‘hopeful’ Las Vegas city employees won’t lose jobs

By Dave Toplikar

Thursday, April 1, 2010 | 12:28 p.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman expressed hope today that the city will reach an agreement with unions regarding the 2011 city budget so 141 city employee jobs can be spared from the budget ax.

"I'm always optimistic," Goodman told reporters during his weekly press conference at City Hall. "I'm hopeful that we're able to reach our goal. I'm told that progress is being made. I'm looking forward to seeing what progress that is."

Goodman said that a preliminary budget has to be sent to the state by April 15. A final budget will need to be forwarded to the state in May.

The mayor said as the deadlines get closer, he was hoping that all the unions would come forward to avoid the layoffs.

"This is reality," Goodman said. "This is not a game. It's not a joke. It's very, very serious business. We're talking about people's lives and every employee is dear to us and we want to make sure that we keep as many working as is humanly possible."

Goodman said the city council will be brought up to date about the status of negotiations before the council's next meeting Wednesday.

"We will have a discussion as to the progress and make that very transparent to the public, as to what has been offered, if any, as far as concessions and what has been requested, if any, from the city as far as concessions," he said.

Goodman has said that it is an "all or nothing" proposition if employees are asked to take salary cuts and that no one group of employees will be asked to shoulder the burden of balancing the budget.

The city is facing a $70 million shortfall. The council approved a tentative budget in early March that would deal with that shortfall by cutting programs and eliminating some 141 jobs.

City Manager Betsy Fretwell had proposed those jobs could be saved if all employees agreed to forego cost-of-living increases and step longevity pay increases, as well as take an 8 percent salary cut this year and another 8 percent next year.

All of the city's four employee unions balked at that suggestion, so Fretwell's staff picked 146 jobs to be eliminated, although that number has now been reduced to 141. More than 200 employees would be affected if the layoffs take place, because some of them will get bumped down to jobs they held earlier.

Two weeks ago, the city's largest union, the Las Vegas City Employees Association, presented a concession offer to the city that involves its members foregoing a cost-of-living raise this year and each employee taking 96 hours of furlough over the next year, which would be one day of unpaid leave per month.

Don King, LVCEA president, held meetings last week and this week with the city about the wage concession offer. King said 120 of his union members would lose their jobs under the tentative budget the city council has approved.

Goodman indicated he would not be opposed to the LVCEA's offer of furloughs in lieu of a salary cut.

"Any way that we can reach a commonality as far as being able to accomplish our goals," he said. "We've always said all along, it's not just cuts, it could be reductions in benefits, it could be reductions in salaries, it could be a combination of the two and that's what I'm looking forward to see what they've come to the table with."

Asked if the "all or nothing" approach is an effort at getting the unions to give up some of the earlier agreements, Goodman said "we can't force anybody to do anything."

The city is currently in collective bargaining with only firefighters, he said.

"The rest are going to have to do it voluntarily. We can't force them to do it," he said. "I'm not saying bust the unions. What I'm trying to say is that everybody has to be reasonable so we have a balanced budget, keep all of the employees intact and be able to provide all the services that we render. That's the goal. It's not busting unions."

Although the council has asked employees to take an 8 percent salary cut, "we're not going to be idiots," the mayor said.

"If somebody comes with 7.9 percent, I'm not going to say adios," Goodman said. "But right now 8 percent is what we're aiming for."

King has said the LVCEA's concession offer is equivalent to an 8.3 percent compensation decrease for next year.