(09/28/09) - As the City of Akron continues
to deal with the effects of the national economic slowdown -- including unemployment in
the private sector that has affected the city’s revenues -- it is initiating
additional cost-saving measures to conserve dollars with a minimum disruption in services
to citizens.The City of Akron will institute a Mandatory Furlough Program for many of
its employees including the mayor, the mayor’s cabinet, managers, non-bargaining
personnel, and with approval of the agreement last Friday by the Civil Service Personnel
Association, many of the city’s other workers.
The principal purpose of the furlough is to reduce the number of paid hours for these
employees from 40 hours/week to 38 hours/week between Friday, October 3 and Friday,
November 27.
The savings resulting from this reduction and other cost-cutting agreements will allow
the city to forego layoffs of some employees previously announced September 14.
Generally, the reduction will be implemented by closing most city offices at 2:30pm on
Fridays, and on Wednesday, November 25. Workers will not be paid for two hours each week
for nine weeks - a reduction totaling 18 hours of pay.
More than 170 workers have taken voluntary furloughs since July 31, saving the city
more than $50,000.
Municipal offices in the following five buildings will close Fridays at 2:30pm, October
3-November 20, and Wednesday, November 25:
- City Hall
- Morley Health Center
- Citicenter (remains open until 8pm with guard on duty for athletic club)
- Ocasek Government Office Building (municipal offices only)
- I Cascade Plaza (municipal offices only)
The City’s 3-1-1 call center for service needs will remain open during its regular
hours (6:30am-11:30pm) and workers will be re-scheduled to reflect the new 38-hour
workweek for the period stated above.
END
