AFSCME Iowa Reaches Agreement On Unpaid Time Off, Ending Job Cuts

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By Chris Earl

Story Created: Nov 30, 2009 at 6:14 PM CST

Story Updated: Nov 30, 2009 at 7:08 PM CST

Eight weeks since the Governor's call for a 10% across the board budget cut, 700 state jobs will not be cut now.

"It's a major victory," Governor Chet Culver said in a news conference Monday afternoon in Des Moines.

Members of AFSCME Iowa Council 61, which covers state workers including those at prisons, voted to accept five unpaid days off and retirement benefit cuts instead place of hundreds of layoffs.

"This has allowed us to keep 430 Corrections officers," said John Baldwin with the Department of Corrections.

The Governor's office released figures that stated 109 state layoffs are taking place. In Eastern Iowa, this includes 12 positions at Anamosa State Penitentiary and 14 at Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility.

We spoke with Leo Gansen, leader for Local 2994 in Anamosa. He said these cuts will make the job there "absolutely more difficult".

Charlie Wishman of AFSCME Iowa said two-thirds of the voting members cast ballots last week for the move. This vote and agreement with the state will keep any further layoffs from taking place until next July.

"No one can predict what will happen in a day, a week or even six months from now," said Governor Culver.

Public Safety Commissioner Eugene Meyer said the alternative, being hundreds of job cuts, would have sharply hurt narcotics enforcement, and the ability to provide a safe environment for Iowans. Meyer was present at Monday's news conference, even as state troopers reached an agreement with the state last week.

"This would have meant longer response times for serious accidents and hurt trooper's abilities to take care of each other," said Meyer.

For the Governor, the focus shifts to balancing the budget , which he says will not including raising taxes.

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