Will your job be spared? Take action now to prevent further budget cuts

June 18, 2009 - A quarter of all OCSEA members would be laid off under new scenarios that the Governor requested of all state agencies in order to fill a $3.2 billion budget gap.

• Review agency budget documents to see if you would be laid off!

According to Office of Budget and Management documents obtained by several media outlets and by OCSEA, scenarios of 10, 20 and 30 percent were put together by agency heads with detailed descriptions of what programs would be cut in each case and how many Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions would have to be eliminated.

According to the OBM documents, 30 percent budget cuts would mean the following in some of the major agencies:

• Corrections: 2,826 FTEs laid off; 6 prisons closed
• Mental Health: 579 FTEs laid off; 180 CSN FTEs laid off; three MH hospitals closed
• MR/DD: 2,730 FTEs laid off; 10 Developmental Centers closed
• Dept. of Natural Resources: Division of Parks, 262 FTEs laid off; 35 parks closed
• Youth Services: 465 FTEs laid off
• Health: 98 FTEs laid off

In all, approximately 10,000 state employees would have to be eliminated under the worst case scenario.

• Review agency budget documents to see if you would be laid off! An agency summary document will be available soon!

While it was made clear in articles by the Columbus Dispatch and Gongwer News Service that these are only scenarios, union leaders know from experience that it's a very short step from "scenario" to "full-fledged proposal."

"We need to make sure our members understand that even though these documents are an impact analysis of what would happen under certain constraints, we fully expect to be facing some of these cuts," said Pres. Eddie L. Parks. "We are taking these supposals very seriously."

TAKE ACTION NOW

OCSEA activists are being encouraged to start their preparation NOW for OCSEA's Day of Action on June 23. Union members are making calls, writing letters and postcards and sending e-mail messages to legislators on that day asking them not to cut their agencies.

"This state is in a state of emergency. We can't afford to lose more jobs and more services for Ohio's economic casualties. But without increased revenue, the way of life as we know it will come to an end," said Parks.

See Related

Budget Alert: Union concerned over Governor's"framework" to balance budget

State Budget News

OCSEA's June 23 Day of Action

Activists gather to tell others about Day of Action

Noon rally held June 4 at Statehouse to protect essential public services