The State Worker

A tired Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threw the state worker rumor mill into high gear this afternoon with these remarks during a press conference:

QUESTION: What does this budget vote mean for state workers as far as furloughs and the planned layoffs, can you tell us?

GOVERNOR: Well, you know, I cannot tell you, because we have to look at it. Whatever gets us the savings. I think that with the furloughs and with the sick leave and the holidays and all of those things, I think we get tremendous savings. We just have to look if we need any further savings.

QUESTION: So the furloughs will stay in place for now? Two days a month?

GOVERNOR: It's one day a month of furloughs.

QUESTION: One day a month?

GOVERNOR: Exactly, yes.

Those remarks, Webcast live via the Governor's Web site, prompted state workers and union officials to call us asking what the deal is. Was the governor reducing state workers' furloughs from two days to one day per month? Was this a signal?

Nope, said Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear.

"As it stands, the executive order is still in effect for two days per month," he said.

That means tomorrow is another "Furlough Friday."

That's even true for SEIU members whose a tentative agreement calls for one self-directed furlough day per month, assuming the deal gets ratification from members and the Legislature. Once that happens, workers covered by the SEIU agreement will get credit for the day they take off tomorrow, since their contract calls for 17 furlough days in 17 months.

Everyone else? Until your union cuts a deal that reduces the number of furlough days, you're still on the two-per-month plan.
Starting next month, however, management will have flexibility to schedule furlough days to suit the organization's needs. The reason: SEIU members make up a large part of the workforce; they can't work on Fridays while everyone else is off or vice-versa.

And that means for some folks the pain of being furloughed won't be blunted by getting a 3-day weekend. It's quite possible that the new policy will mean most people have to take Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday off without pay.

As to Schwarzenegger's remarks, "Give the guy a break. He's been up all night," McLear said. "Or maybe he just didn't hear the question correctly."