Now is the time to help prepare your children for college, The Union Plus Scholarship Difference: Over 15 years helping union members and their children attend college. Union Plus has distributed over 2.4 million scholarship dollars to working families. Start your applications today for the Union Plus Scholarship. Deadline is May 15th 2009. For Union Members families PACE/Nage/SEIU. For more details visit: http://www.unionplus.org/college-education-financing/union-plus-scholars...

Pace would like to extend Holiday Greeting to all City of Atlanta Union Members and their Families. Please have a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin disclosed the new FY2009 Budget Summary during a media briefing December 2, 2008. She announced her decision to remove 222 personnel without notice.(Dec 2 Mayor's News Brief) Some personnel were relieved of duty beginning December 2 as the briefing began. With the traditional "Christmas" holiday upon us, the financial situation of the City of Atlanta gave no warning to personnel. 3 weeks before the Christmas Holiday 222 personnel would not be employed. PACE has begun the provisional battle with the City of Atlanta to find ways to protect employees in the future from such drastic measures. Please review the Mayor's News Briefing at: http://apps.atlantaga.gov/videoondemand/video/budget_update120208.wmv (Courtesy of City of Atlanta)

222 filled positions were eliminated from Recreation to Sanitation Departments. Public Works Departments will lose 2.5 million in personnel and reductions in services, which includes the Sanitation department funding reductions. The Recreation Department will lose 3 million from the General Fund, and Planning & Community Development Departments- were reduced by 1 million. The largest reduction in personnel and service was in the Support Departments, with 7.4 million in personnel and service reductions. The new Budget began December 2, 2008, the City of Atlanta Government will continue downsizing until December 12, 2008. As Mayor Franklin advised the City’s Worker’s and the Public of significant reductions in services and personnel, she also stated, possible additional cuts once the next quarter reports are completed.

Jan McIntyre Director of Fleet Services, decided to resign her position before naming 4 Fleet Service Personnel to RIF. Jan McIntyre’s decision to retire would allow four Fleet Service Personnel to keep their current position in the City of Atlanta’s employment. Jan’s willingness to reduce her salary to help save the jobs of others is to be commended. This is truly what the “Spirit of Christmas” is all about. Please send Jan McIntyre your heart felt thanks and well wishes for her decision.

Gina Pagnotta, PACE Union President, announced today, PACE has begun the battle with the City of Atlanta, to prevent additional layoffs without notification. The PACE President was sadden by the news of Mayor Franklin to reduce personnel, especially before the traditional holiday season. Union Members given pick slips for Reduction-In-Force (RIF) should notify Chip Warren at 404 521-9043 immediately. If current Union Members have contact with RIF personnel, please inform them to contact the PACE Union Office to speak to Chip Warren to begin the appeal process.

Mayor Shirley Franklin will hold a City of Atlanta Financial Media Briefing at 10:00am to 10:30am with COO Greg Giornelli, and Jim Glass, Chief Financial Officer on Tuesday, December 2, 2008. The Media Brief will be at the City-Hall, 55 Trinity Avenue, 2nd floor Media Area. All Union Members if possible should attend this very important news briefing to learn what the Mayor has in Mind after the start of December 1, 2008 (4) hour furloughs. PACE will follow the Briefing and report important information to Union Members not in attendance.

PACE has worked diligently to come up with solutions that would help Union Members, City of Atlanta Employees stay employed without additional Layoffs in the City of Atlanta. PACE has learned that the City of Atlanta plans to RIF an additional 10% of the workforce  with the Furloughs. All affected employees will be notified on 1 December 2008. PACE has scheduled a meeting with COO Greg Giornelli, Tuesday, November 25, 2008, to talk about the RIF’s and any other ways the city can prevent future layoffs of union members/City Employees. PACE wants all members to hear what Mayor Franklin's accessment of the Cities crisis is.

In the past week several emails has been received from persons eligible for retirement, or very close to retirement, suggesting how they can help. PACE has written the following letter to the City Council in support of Union Members, asking the City Council to offer incentives for retirements. As noted in the letter long term employment does bring experience to the work force; however, the workforce retirees will be leaving, most in the next few years, why not offer some incentives to encourage retirement now and save General funding for personnel wages. This would help keep the struggling city services and provisions to be available for the citizens of Atlanta. President of PACE Gina Pagnotta wrote the following Letter to City Council members:

Released for public review Mayor Franklin's letter to Charles B Rangel Chairmen of House Ways & Means Committee dated November 10, 2008 has been posted on the City’s website (see): Letter to Charles B Rangel

Also a joint letter from 3 Mayor’s, (Shirley Franklin City of Atlanta, Michael A Nutter, City of Philadelphia, and Phil Gordon Mayor of City of Phoenix) dated November 13, 2008 was sent to Henry M. Paulson, Jr. Secretary Department of the Treasury of the United States in Washington DC., and is posted on the City Of Atlanta Website (see): Letter to Secretary US Dept of Treasury

 Mayor Franklin wrote in the letter to Chairmen Charles B. Rangel “As Congress debates alternative approaches to stimulating the economy, I urge you to consider the following perspective of the City of Atlanta.” “To accommodate this revenue shortfall, we are facing potentially additional layoffs having already reduced payroll by 30% in non-public safety departments earlier this year.”

In another paragraph in this letter Mayor Franklin wrote:

Mayor Franklin told the City Council and Local News agencies at the Financial Executive meeting today the City of Atlanta projected budget crisis’s is 50-60 Million in shortfall of the FY09 budget. Mayor Franklin along with COO Greg Giornelli explained what has caused the city to enforce Furloughs for all General Fund Employees beginning December 1, 2008 and a immediate hiring freeze for the City of Atlanta Government.

Mayor Franklin addressed a letter dated November 12, 2008 to all affected employees indicating this is a dramatic and unpopular decision in the midst of a serious economic downturn to begin Furloughs. At the City Council Financial Executive meeting today Mayor Franklin stated the furloughs would save approximately 24 million, which is 10% of the salaries divided by 12 for a monthly savings of 2 million. Mayor Franklin stated the shortfalls for this quarter is between 13-18 million, which the city had to withdraw 12 million from their reserve fund. Employees would not be expected to work more than 36 hours a week, 4 hour furloughs each week, for a total of 8 hours furlough per pay period.

 

Mayor Franklin address the City Council today 12 November at City Hall to announce Furloughs for all employees in the General Fund budget to begin December 1, 2008, and a immediate hiring Freeze to go into effect.

Mayor Franklin said today Furloughs will go into effect for the next 7 months up to one year depending on the Revenue for the next two quarters.  The Mayor stated the furloughs will be 4 hours each week, meaning 8 hour furloughs each pay period instead of cutting Jobs. Workers will have a 36 hour a week work loads for a total of 72 hour every two weeks.  

President Elect Barack Obama’s Victory in the presidential race will give labor unions a strong ally in the White House. (Associated Press/msnbc)

 Obama’s reputation as a conciliator, meanwhile, will be sorely tested by the labor-backed Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow workers to form unions by getting a majority of employees to sign a card in support of a union, rather than through a secret ballot election.(Associated Press/msnbc)

 

Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce fiercely oppose the measure because they say the elimination of the secret ballot would open up workers to intimidation and harassment. However with the Employee Free Choice Act, (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27547266/ ) intimidation and harassment will be dealt with by Federal Mandates and Laws.