Workers demonstrate against furloughs

When Jeff Ray spoke before the Albany County Legislature Monday night it wasn't only the prospect of losing a week's pay that irked him.  "I thought we were shown great disrespect in the way we informed of the furloughs through the media," the union leader said.

Ray was one of about forty CSEA workers employed by Albany County who packed themselves into the legislative chamber. Another twenty stood in the hall outside the crowded room.  County Executive Michael Breslin is ordering five days of furloughs - layoffs, essentially - saying it will help him save $1.4 million and close that much of a budget gap of $20.5 million.

  The union says that savings does not help erase much of the deficit and should be found somewhere else in the  budget. Some lawmakers agree.

Are there any particular areas that yu would identify as waste, specifically? "I think we need to look at the whole budget," says Gary Domalewicz. "Look at everything line by line and see what we can see."

The furloughs will not affect the nursing home nor the sewer district. Most jobs at the county jail would not be affected.  County Comptroller Michael Conners says the furloughs are not necessary and says Breslin's team made some budgeting mistakes.

"They said the deficit was 20.5 million dollars and they (said) 'we're losing five mllion dollars in interest income' - that's their budget director saying that," Conners explained. "The problem with that is they only budgeted 3.6 million (for) the entire year, so there's a million-four in mistakes right there."

Deputy County Executive Michael Perrin said the plan is go forward with the furloughs. "Whether or not it's an 18.5 or 20.5 million dollar problem, it's significant - and it's a fluid situation," Perrin said. "Right now sales tax revenues are headed even further south than we anticipated."  In May, Breslin said a reduction in sales tax revenue and a loss of state aid are two factors leading to the budget gap. 

Perrin says the executive's office believes it has the authority to order the layoffs. CSEA has filed two grievances and an improper practice charge.