DEC bumping or layoffs

[bpb]

I was bumpped from my job back in Sept. Not th e1st time either. My Mother worked for the state and she was bumped several times.  Let the hard feelings begin!     Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 3:17 PM  Subject: Reduction in force (layoffs) 

  At this morning's DEC Executive staff / Regional Director / Division Director meeting, we were further briefed on the current status of DEC's layoff plan:    - DEC Executive staff met with Union representatives last Friday (11/5) afternoon and discussed the current status of DEC's workforce reduction plan.    - DEC's plan has not been finalized, but should be submitted to DOB this afternoon (11/8) or tomorrow morning  - DEC will send out letters to affected staff and potentially affected staff (via seniority and horizontal/ vertical displacement (ie "bumping")) by the end of this week or early next week.  These letters will be hand delivered to staff by Division Director, Regional Director or staff supervisor.  Individuals will have one week to respond to the letter.  - DEC is using the "one choice" method, based on seniority and the assumption that an affected (or potentially affected) individual will accept a "displacement" (move to another location/ position) instead of a layoff.  In a nutshell, individuals will receive a letter that indicates their position is targeted (or may be via displacement by someone with greater seniority) and they have a choice to accept the layoff or accept the horizontal (or vertical) position indicated in the letter (ergo the "one choice").    - Staff receiving a letter will have one week to respond to DEC personnel indicating their choice (lay-off or other position).  - Based on the responses to the one choice letter, there may be other scenarios that will play out (e.g. if a more senior person opts for retirement or a lay-off instead of the other position), and these may be discussed via telephone or other more rapid communication with DEC Personnel Office.  - On December 10, all staff affected by the layoff will receive a letter confirming such.  - All staff being laid off will be off the payroll effective cob 12/31/2010.    Additional points:    - No one at DEC has actually gone through this layoff/ bumping scenario before (certainly not at this scale) so we are proceeding very cautiously and double-checking to make sure that affected/ potentially affect individuals are properly notified, and no one is unnecessarily being notified  - All DEC staff were asked in Spring 2009 to confirm their seniority from the seniority list provided by Civil Service and there has been few new hires since that time  - Anyone questioning their seniority should contact DEC Personnel and discuss  - For each targeted position, there are approximately 3 letters being sent out due to seniority and horizontal/ vertical bumping scenarios.  Therefore, for the approximately 150 targeted positions, approximately 400 - 450 staff will receive a letter.    This is a most difficult time for all DEC and other New York State agency staff.  The uncertainty with these workforce reductions and who / how individuals will be affected coupled with the recent loss of staff via retirements and the pending Holiday season pose significant challenges to us all.  Now, more than ever, we need to be supportive of each other.    I have tried to disseminate this fairly widely to DFWMR staff, but please share with others I may have missed.    Doug     

[Doc]

This has got to be tough times for DEC personel, but many of us (maybe most) have already gone through similar cuts in private industry. However for a lot of us, the cuts that we were involved with were made on merit and job-related necessary talents rather than seniority. I guess seniority is the method of choice for unionized positions. It's hard to see how this move will be beneficial to the state's resource management and conservation, but time will tell just how much damage is actually done.

Doc

[WNYBuckHunter]

Dont be surprised if you see more of this. I have to see it happen to the DEC, but lets face it guys, they are a NY state agency, and there is no way this state will survive economically without reducing its overgrown government structure. Hopefully agencies that actually do some good for us, like the DEC, dont get as much of the hatchet as some of the special interest crap.

[Doc]

The problem as I see it is that this is not the first wave of cuts in resources and personel. In fact The state has had several wacks on the DEC. I've been reading about periodic severe DEC cuts in the New York State Outdoor News for a couple of years now. Apparently they were already hurting long before this current round of cuts. I'm just not sure that the pain is being equally distributed.

[5.9cummins]

DEC is getting hammered. I work for another state agency and have to work with DEC from time to time. Last i herd the Avon office is running on a budget that amounts to what there phone bill was last year. They have been cut everywhere and staff is the only thing left. That being said there are some other areas (special interest) and agencies that could see large reductions and or eliminations without too much problem. 

As for the unions they suck the big one. They are just another political power that dosent do anything for there employees. We have gone toe to toe with them on several issues and because we are a small group we get ignored because we have no real "pull" with them. As for the seniority issue its a bunch of crap. If i had the misfortune of having to bump some one or give out a pink slip i know in a heartbeat who i would give it to. However i couldn't do it because that individual has been in state service for over 20 years and the union has there back (i knew there would be an issue when i came in and at less than a year on the job i was training them how to do there job). I would have to cut someone who was lower on the totem pole but better at there job.

This is the problem with government - they grow in good times and tax in bad.

I am sorry to hear of your predicament bpb. Hopefully Cuomo (for what hes worth) will step up and restore some funding for DEC and find some where else to cut because DEC seems to be taking a big portion of the hit.

[bpb]

  The guy who bumped me , announced he's retiring the 28th after 42 yrs with the company. LOL

So if the company post his job I can bid on it and maybe move back in to my old spot. But , I tell ya my new job is 4-10 hr days 2nd shift Sunday - Wed. and I'm out wandering around not struck in a computer boiler room @ 12 hour shots.

 

  Don't know what I'll do now might have to flip a coin, I sure hate getting up at 4am to be to work at 5am. But the 3/4 days on 12 hr shift gives me 7 days off  once a month.

 

  I'm sure we'll see the state agencies start whining the people can't be serviced or protected due to cuts.

LOL

Sad pat is if the taxpayers are not working or have had wages cut the state will see a loss in revenue. Somethings gotta go, looks like some lean years ahead for government in general.

[sits in trees]

  The guy who bumped me , announced he's retiring the 28th after 42 yrs with the company. LOL

So if the company post his job I can bid on it and maybe move back in to my old spot. But , I tell ya my new job is 4-10 hr days 2nd shift Sunday - Wed. and I'm out wandering around not struck in a computer boiler room @ 12 hour shots.

 

  Don't know what I'll do now might have to flip a coin, I sure hate getting up at 4am to be to work at 5am. But the 3/4 days on 12 hr shift gives me 7 days off  once a month.

 

  I'm sure we'll see the state agencies start whining the people can't be serviced or protected due to cuts.

LOL

Sad pat is if the taxpayers are not working or have had wages cut the state will see a loss in revenue. Somethings gotta go, looks like some lean years ahead for government in general.

i gotta say, i'm alittle lost on the meaning of your post.

[fasteddie]

  The guy who bumped me , announced he's retiring the 28th after 42 yrs with the company. LOL So if the company post his job I can bid on it and maybe move back in to my old spot. But , I tell ya my new job is 4-10 hr days 2nd shift Sunday - Wed. and I'm out wandering around not struck in a computer boiler room @ 12 hour shots.

  Don't know what I'll do now might have to flip a coin, I sure hate getting up at 4am to be to work at 5am. But the 3/4 days on 12 hr shiftgives me 7 days off  once a month.

  I'm sure we'll see the state agencies start whining the people can't be serviced orprotected due to cuts.

Sad pat is if the taxpayers are not working or have had wages cut the state will see a loss in revenue. Somethings gotta go, looks like some lean years ahead for government in general.

I don't know what all that "size" crap was but it was hard to read the post . I took it out so I could read the post .