AFSCME: Agreement Reached To Save 479 Jobs

DES MOINES, Iowa - THEIOWACHANNEL.com

Officials with the state workers union AFSCME said Monday that they have reached an agreement with the state to save 479 AFSCME jobs that were to be cut during the latest round of budget cuts.

AFSCME said the jobs include front line correctional officers, parole probation officers as well as workers in the Human Services and Revenue Departments.

State Workers React To Union Deal

Some 791 layoffs were planned after Gov. Chet Culver announced a 10 percent across the board budget cut.

The agreement will be voted on by AFSCME members and includes five furlough days to be taken by 20,000 state employees between now and June 30, the end of the 2010 fiscal year. In total, the agreement would save $26.4 million, if approved.

Officials said the furlough would save more than $22.7 million.

The deferred compensation program for State Employees will undergo temporary changes to suspend the State’s contribution through June 30, 2010, saving another $3.7 million.

The AFSCME/Iowa Council 61 vote is expected to begin Nov. 19 and finish on Nov. 25.

“I want to thank the leadership at AFSCME for joining with us to save these essential public service jobs,” said Culver, in a statement released on Monday. “This understanding will help preserve vital services for Iowans while meeting our obligation to balance the state budget. This is a positive step forward and I encourage the membership to vote yes on this measure.”

“The AFSCME bargaining team has worked very hard with the Governor’s office and the state of Iowa to find an understanding that would save as many bargaining unit jobs as possible,” said Danny Homan, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 president. “We thank the Governor for giving us the opportunity to sit down with him and have input on this issue.”

"If our membership doesn't except this I can only assume that the governor will order layoffs as he said he would and that means some of our folks are going out the door," said Homan.

Look for updates on this developing story on KCCI-TV and here on KCCI.com.

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