Inside a Herald Bulletin story on Oct. 28 was an approval by the Anderson Board of Public Works of the 2010 holiday schedule, which gives city workers 16 paid days off. Those days are for actual holidays, but also include two personal days and election days. Only one year out of four doesn’t have election days, and 2009 was one of those years.
In a year when the city is trying desperately to save money, slashing jobs and raising taxes, 16 days off with pay seem excessive. These days are on top of vacation and sick days. If an employee has two weeks of vacation per year, the paid holidays would add up to more than a month of paid time off.
Most workers in private companies in Madison County don’t enjoy such liberal time off. The Herald Bulletin, for example, pays six holidays and offers three personal days. Some employees in other companies might not even get vacation or sick time. If they get sick, they just lose pay.
It’s not really a question of putting the city workers more in parity with most of its residents. It’s a matter of best use of taxpayer funds. Giving workers that much time off is not in the best interest of taxpayers.
As Mayor Kris Ockomon explained, these days off are in the city contract with the various unions and cannot just be taken away. That’s true, but the city is asking for other concessions and expecting the unions to give in. So why not put the extraordinarily generous holiday schedule on the negotiating table?
It’s especially grating that city workers are off on primary and general election days. Do they need all day to vote? Most city residents find a way to get to the polls during their work day. The real reason city workers are off is so they can work the polls and stump for their political bosses all while getting paid.
Lately the city has been laying off workers and recently cut $5 million from the city budget. It would seem that union workers, in the interest of saving their jobs, wouldn’t mind giving up a few faux holidays if it would keep them working.
The money saved could be substantial, contrary to what the mayor said. For the sake of argument, let’s say the median salary of all city employees is $20 per hour. That’s $160 a day. Take away 10 days of holidays, that’s $1,600 savings per employee. Since the city employs about 800, that’s a savings of $1,280,000. That’s not inconsequential.
The contract that granted those holidays was signed in more bountiful days. Now the city is suffering from too little revenue and such a contractual nicety needs revisited. It would be a good-faith effort on the city’s part and show it is serious about cutting expenditures and preserving declining revenue.
By the way, if you have business with the city, get it done today. On Wednesday, all city offices will be closed and workers will be off for Veterans Day.
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