Posts tagged furlough
Gavin Newsom expects a deficit this year. What does that mean for state worker contracts?
January 13, 2023 // High inflation would usually be a strong argument for raising pay. But budget deficits typically call for cuts in public spending, not increases. State employers face a tough decision. Some public employees are paid under the market rate for their roles and could leave for the private sector if raises are withheld. Public employee unions are also struggling with retention, which could worsen if a recession hits and older workers retire faster than departments can hire new ones.
Another Weirdness of the COVID Labor Market
September 2, 2022 // The early retirements problem came into view as pandemic unemployment “cleared” and the labor market returned to status quo ante. The 65-plus group accounts for between 50 percent and 100 percent of the decline in the population-to-employment ratio, amounting to .7 percent of the entire workforce, perhaps a million or so workers, and about half that number were among those who chose to hang up their cleats ahead of time. These early retirements are interacting with the overall market in some unique ways. In a normal recession, businesses tend to cut labor costs through automation. As the old jobs are eliminated, workers are “reallocated,” meaning they move into new occupations. The NBER study finds that the COVID-19 recession saw almost no reallocation except in low-skill leisure and hospitality occupations. In the meantime, the number of workers in professional occupations grew as a share of the labor market. This relative expansion of professional jobs was also accompanied by “downskilling” (i.e., the relaxation of educational and experience requirements reflected in help-wanted ads) as firms responded to the tight labor market by making it easier for less credentialed workers to qualify for openings further up the value chain.
‘They Should Be Ashamed’: Understaffing at NYC’s Beloved Museum of Natural History Pushes Workers to Unionize
March 28, 2022 // The union campaign arrives during a wave of organizing at museums and other cultural institutions across New York City and the United States, such as the Guggenheim and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Ohio Public Employee Unions Losing Their Stranglehold on State Workers
March 11, 2022 // Between late 2019 and early 2022, the Ohio Civil Service Association, which represents state employees, experienced a sharp membership decline — around 3,000 members and almost $2 million in lost union dues. That’s $600 remaining in the paychecks of Ohio public employees. Money that can be put to good use purchasing gas, food and other family necessities.
County at an impasse: Union workers say they’re set to strike next week; management says deal is fair
January 20, 2022 // “While we hope for a quick resolution we are prepared for the long haul,” Hoppin said. “Unfortunately, it is those members of our community who depend on county services and staff — from public health workers to benefits representatives to road repair crews — who will bear the brunt of this decision.”