Unpaid days off not an option in Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - While Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn could unilaterally start state worker layoffs after giving the employees' union 30 days notice, other states have tried to fix their out of whack budgets by using temporary worker furloughs, unpaid forced days off.
In Illinois, the governor can't implement furloughs, pay cuts and changes in work hours on his own. He'd have to negotiate those concessions with the state workers' union.
Listed below are some of the furlough actions already taken by other states and other pending furlough actions. Since most states start their new budget year July 1, some of these actions may change before then, following negotiations between governors and legislatures and with state worker unions.
California: Implemented "Furlough Fridays" in February, keeping some 238,000 state workers off the job and closing almost all state government offices on the first and third Friday of the month. State workers now still have to take two unpaid days off every month but they get to choose which days, which keeps state offices open five days a week. The move is expected to save $1.3 billion through June 2010. California has an estimated $24 billion budget shortfall.
Hawaii: Gov. Linda Lingle is considering forcing 46,500 state employees to take three furlough days per month. The move would save the state $688 million, nearly fixing its $729 million budget deficit. But the unpaid days off would represent a pay cut of 14 percent for state workers and unions there are expected to fight any furlough order.
Nevada: Lawmakers approved a one day per month furlough for state workers beginning July 1. But state budget chief Andrew Clinger said the projected savings of $333 million over two years could get gobbled up by overtime and other expenses at prisons and other state agencies with required minimum staffing levels.
New Jersey: Gov. Jon Corzine and union officials have reached a tentative agreement where state employees will forgo a scheduled pay raise and take nine furlough days over the next year in order to save the state $300 million. The state is expected to also raise income taxes, cut property tax rebates, delay a pension fund payment and cut aid to cities in order to correct a $5 billion shortfall in state revenue.
Connecticut: The state's 50,000 employees reached an agreement to take seven furlough days over the next two years. The furloughs are coordinated with slower state government work days, including Independence Day weekend, the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
Michigan: Gov. Jennifer Granholm has ordered 37,000 state workers to take six furlough days between June 19 and Sept. 4, saving the state some $22 million. About 15,000 workers are exempt from furloughs, including state troopers, so those departments have had to meet their targeted budget cuts through layoffs. Up to 100 state troopers are expected be laid off June 28
Wisconsin: Gov. Jim Doyle has proposed requiring the state's 60,000 workers to take eight furlough days each year over the next two years to help plug the state's $6.6 billion deficit. Up to 1,100 state workers could also be laid off.