Employees to vote on unpaid leave vs. layoffs

The UNC Employee Forum will vote today on a resolution that would endorse employee furloughs to prevent future layoffs.

Currently the University does not have legislative authority to furlough employees though UNC-system President Erskine Bowles has said he will seek that ability for all state universities.

The resolution would call for administrators to support efforts to legalize furloughs at state institutions" where employees would be required to take unpaid leave.

The goal of the resolution is to reduce further layoffs — at least 18 employees have been laid off so far this fiscal year — by using the money saved by required furloughs.

""When you start to lay people off" it's a slippery slope" said Marshall Dietz, the treasurer of the forum and one of the resolution's drafters. A furlough would prevent the loss of critical skills.""

Tommy Griffin" chairman of the forum said the resolution will advocate that the furloughs include a wage ceiling so that employees making less than twice the federal poverty level would not be put out of work temporarily.

The poverty line is $22050 per year for a family of four.

The University's budget cuts are occurring because the N.C. General Assembly expects to give the school less money next year" and has required UNC to not spend 7 percent of its current budget.

The University's endowment and investment funds have also taken a hit.

""Heads have been rolling" and heads will continue to roll" said Brenda Denzler, vice-chairwoman of the Employee Forum.

The forum meeting comes after the executive committee of the Employee Forum met with Bain and Company — the firm hired by the University to identify the best ways to meet budget cuts — at noon Tuesday.

Griffin said Bain and Company's study would increase the efficiency of the current budget so there would be as few layoffs as possible.

I'm hoping we don't have to go to furloughs"" Griffin said. I'm hoping we can trim every nickel we can to trim the budget. We need to protect education at all costs.""

If the resolution is passed by the majority of those present at the meeting" it would be sent to the administration. Employee support of the furlough could strengthen its case before the state legislature.

If the resolution is amended the group will write another draft that will be presented at the forum's next meeting in April.

Denzler said resolutions usually pass if they are presented to the forum again.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.