August 04, 2008

Relocating state employees

Governor David Paterson's ability to save money by restructuring the state workforce would be hindered by a union-backed bill that has hit his desk.

The bill, which passed passed the Senate unanimously and was approved by a 134-to-6 vote in the Assembly, restricts the state's ability to transfer an employee beyond "the county of the such employee's normal work location, or a county contiguous."

Vetoed four times by previous governors, the bill requires state managers to solicit volunteers for transfer, first offering the opportunity to the most senior employees. If there are no volunteers, the state must transfer the least senior employee.

Even before his speech last week concerning the state's worsening budget picture, Paterson ordered state agencies to cut spending by 3.35 percent. An analysis of plans submitted by 75 agencies found they expect to eliminate at least 900 jobs by attrition.

Attrition--far easier on employees than targeted layoffs--can create geographic imbalances. An agency can end up with too many workers in one location and too few in another. Thus any restriction on transfers will add to the difficulty of Paterson's planned staff reductions.

In 2007, Governor Eliot Spitzer cited three reasons for his veto:

First, this bill could severely hamper the State's ability to manage its workforce, accomplish critical goals, set appropriate policies, and respond to changing public needs....

Second, the Civil Service Law currently has adequate safeguards in place to protect employees in reassignment situations. For example...[the] Agency Reduction Transfer List Program...provides re-employment rights for many State employees whose positions have been reassigned across county lines.

Finally, this bill breaches existing agreements between the State and various bargaining units reached through collective bargaining.

In the first of three vetoes, Governor George Patatki alluded to the World Trade Center attacks. He said a "measure of flexibility is particularly crucial in times of disaster emergencies."

Paterson must sign or veto the measure this week.

Posted by Lise Bang-Jensen

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