The Civil Service Personnel Association, the Akron Nurses Association, and Local 1360, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union agreed to the proposal, which Mayor Don Plusquellic implemented for non-bargaining personnel on July 29.

"This is a positive step towards reducing our budget deficit," said the mayor.  "It allows our employees to make a significant contribution towards our goal of saving jobs in the fourth quarter of this year. I know that our employees are no less caring than those public sector workers around the state who are also making sacrifices to protect jobs of their fellow employees."

The City must cut expenses to fill a projected budget deficit of approximately $12 million before year’s end, due to decreasing revenue from income taxes, property taxes, investments, and state tax-sharing formulas that are impacting every Ohio city.

The Voluntary Furlough Agreement is effective immediately. Unions representing Police and Fire forces have not responded to the City’s proposal.

Seasonal, temporary, and part-time employees are not eligible to participate. Some provisions of the Plan include the following: 

• Managers will work with employees to accommodate their requests;
• It is the intent of the City to avoid the need for overtime work by another employee to fill the job of a furloughed employee
• The City always retains the right to address emergency situations;
• Voluntary Furlough days may be combined with paid leave or vacation days. Subject to approval by Akron City Council, employees may take voluntary furlough days before or after a holiday and be paid for the holiday.

Mayor Plusquellic also said that the city is continuing to work with its unions to examine other types of cost savings already implemented in other Ohio cities, including the imposition of mandatory furlough days. He is weighing a proposal to close-down city services, except emergency services, on several pre-announced days late in the year.