What is up with the Furlough Day Talk?

The short answer is nothing – nothing has been proposed in negotiations, and nothing has been agreed to.

As has been publicized over the past month, the School Board adopted a tentative budget on September 18th that includes 2 days of employee furloughs to make it balance.   Merely including these days in the budget does not make them happen – they must be negotiated with USEP.   This is a critical point that employees need to remember.

Another point that has been raised concerns if furlough days were negotiated, how the money would be deducted. That too would also have to be negotiated.  Last year, USEP and the District agreed to begin payroll deductions equal to 2 days pay, to be taken in equal installments over each employee’s pay calendars. This year, there has been talk from the District that if furlough days were agreed to, they would prefer not to take pro-rated/equal installments and simply take the pay during the affected pay period. That too would have to be negotiated!

Please realize, that USEP is not convinced that furlough days are needed this year. Therefore, the issue of furlough days has not yet been addressed, and so any assumptions over how or, more importantly, if they may be implemented is premature and is causing stress levels to employees that are unnecessary!