City Water, Light and Power hasn’t proven the month-long layoffs of 58 utility workers are needed, the union representing the employees said Tuesday.
“CWLP has enough operating money and enough work to meet their contractual obligations to the members of IBEW 193,” wrote Dave Burns, president of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 193.
The union released a two-page official “position statement” Tuesday afternoon.
CWLP officials previously notified dozens of IBEW workers that they will be without jobs for 30 days. The layoffs started Monday. Local 193 represents a total of 142 utility workers.
In its statement, the union emphasized that the rest of Springfield city government is funded separately from City Water, Light and Power. The utility is supported by electric and water revenues, while the rest of city government relies on taxe.
‘No benefit’ to city
“The money saved through the IBEW 193 CWLP member layoffs will not benefit the City of Springfield because CWLP and the city are two separate entities,” the statement read. “This money will not be allowed into the City of Springfield’s budget and will be of no help to its budget crisis.”
CWLP General Manager Todd Renfrow, through his spokeswoman, said revenues at the utility are down because of the economy and two consecutive years of mild weather. Through January, the utility’s revenues for fiscal year 2010 were $39.3 million less than expected – a shortfall of 19 percent, he said.
Renfrow “wonders how the IBEW thinks CWLP is immune to the conditions that are affecting every other electric utility, government organization and business entity in the country,” wrote Amber Sabin, CWLP’s spokeswoman.
Officials with Local 193 have said the union plans to fight the layoffs.
The IBEW said that, last summer, it offered utility officials “detailed, specific plans and ideas to cut waste and eliminate any excess spending and to actively increase the operational efficiency of CWLP without service interruption.”
“It is our belief that had these plans and ideas been discussed and implemented seven months ago, we may have been able to avoid these layoffs completely.”
Local 193 members didn’t formally vote on the mayor’s proposal that union workers accept furlough days and delayed raises. The local was part of a coalition of unions that offered a counterproposal that would have allowed employees to voluntarily donate time — including vacation, sick days, compensatory time, personal days and bonus days — to save money.
58 layoff notices
On Friday, 58 employees got notices they will be laid off for the month of March.
CWLP says rather than have 15 employees lose their jobs permanently, the utility decided to have 58 take 30 days and be back on the job “before our busy storm and construction season begins.”
Sabin said the 15 employees who would have lost their jobs would have been apprentice linemen.
“To let them go permanently would mean we wasted the recent efforts and expenses to recruit and train that skill set,” Sabin said. “In addition, we currently have over 45 linemen that are five years or less away from being eligible for retirement, so we don’t want to be weak on recruitment right now.”
Also let go were IBEW tree trimming crews that work for Nelson Tree Service. Combined, the layoffs save about $400,000, according to the utility.
Deana Poole can be reached at 788-1533.
Some layoffs averted
Some Springfield city and utility workers who received pink slips last month are already back on the job.
The layoffs of three employees at City Water, Light and Power and three public works employees were averted by the retirements of others and elimination of one position, according to CWLP’s spokeswoman.
Two of the utility workers whose jobs were saved were Mark Davlin, nephew of Mayor Tim Davlin, and Jason Wilson, the son-in-law of Pete Campo, superintendent of motor vehicle parking for the city. Both are second-year apprentice machinists at the power plant, according to a city payroll list.
Amber Sabin, the utility’s spokeswoman, said the layoffs of Davlin and Wilson were rescinded because an instrument mechanic is retiring and a vacant machinist position was eliminated.
Another machinist at CWLP’s garage was laid off, while the job of Lee Alewelt, a service man, was retained because a parts man is retiring, she said.
Three other jobs were saved in the Department of Public Works last week due to retirements. The three were among the 13 jobs the mayor originally cut from the city’s budget: a geographical information system technician, a zoning inspector and a plumbing inspector were retained.
— Deana Poole
Read the original article from The State Journal-Register.
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