Press Release: Sept. 27, 2011
Contact: Khanh Weinberg – (408) 921-0098
SALINAS, Calif. – King City is considering making drastic cuts to an already dwindling workforce, which will impact the community and the services residents receive.
Faced with a $700,000 budget shortfall, instead of looking at cost-savings from all groups of workers, the city is targeting only SEIU Local 521 workers in order to save $45,000. Clearly, the proposed cuts to SEIU won’t come anywhere close to meeting the city’s budget shortfall.
Workers have agreed to suspending benefits such as cell phone stipends, bilingual pay and educational incentives. For temporary budget problems, temporary cuts makes sense. And yet, the city continues to insist on complete elimination of these benefits.
“These are working families who live in the community and provide valuable public services,” said Patricia Grainger, an accountant for the city. “Cuts to their benefits in this hard economy, without seeking any changes to managers’ pay and benefits, is grossly unfair.”
WHAT: King City Council meeting
WHEN: 5:30 p.m., TODAY
WHERE: City Council Chambers
212 S. VANDERHURST AVE.
# # #www.seiu521.org
The Service Employees International Union is an organization of 2.1 million members united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide. SEIU is dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society.
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