We were part of a media conference call today with Julie Chapman, DPA's Deputy Director of Labor Relations, to talk about layoffs. Here are some details from the discussion that we thought worth passing along:
- Notices went out to about 5,000 state workers today, some hand-delivered at work. Others went to employee homes via certified mail.
- The early report from Corrections is that it issued about 3,600 letters. Administration spokesman Aaron McLear later told us that Health and Human Services workers received another 1,000 notices. The governor's office won't be ready to release specifics until Tuesday, so we don't yet know exactly the layoffs by department or which counties and cities will see the most job losses.
- Why the lack of specificity? Departments have until the close of business on Monday to submit the names of workers jobs targeted for termination. "It's hard to drill down until departments submit their lists," Chapman said.
- Chapman repeated what Vickie Bradshaw, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's deputy chief of staff, told us on Thursday about the administration helping employees find new state jobs that aren't paid with general fund money. When asked how many of jobs exist for transitioning workers, Chapman said, "We don't know how many openings are available."
- A reporter asked Chapman whether the SEIU Local 1000 deal negotiated in February -- and now hung up in the Assembly -- had anything to do with the governor's layoff policy. "The SEIU agreement has no effect on this decision," Chapman said.
The Author
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "report abuse" button below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.