Unions Warn Workers to Expect 400-500 Layoffs in NY Court System
New York’s court system has notified unions to expect massive layoffs, of between 400 and 500 workers, starting June 1.
The layoffs follow $70 million in additional budget cuts to New York’s Unified Court System, according to a layoff update from the Civil Service Employees Association, the largest of 11 unions representing NY court workers.
The layoffs will be the first significant reduction in the court’s workforce in 20 years, according to the New York Law Journal.
First to get pink slips, effective May 4, will be some 50 to 70 employees with the state’s Office for Court Administration. Other notices are expected to be distributed on May 18.
The CSEA update notes that members had asked if furloughs or a payroll lag could make layoffs unnecessary. But the CSEA said no. “In our judgment, that is not possible,” the layoff update states. “UCS has indicated that it would not consider either a lag or furlough unless all eleven unions agreed to it and nine of the unions have already vetoed the idea. Therefore, we are unable even to entertain the idea of either option.”
Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman had offered to make $100 million in fiscal 2011-2012 budget cuts, but state lawmakers imposed an additional $70 million, necessitating the staff cuts.
