Unions, City Services Object To Bloomberg's Cuts
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Labor unions, social service providers and even librarians launched immediate criticism of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's executive budget on Friday. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.Even before Mayor Bloomberg unveiled his executive budget on Friday, a television ad that labeled the mayor's cuts to homeless services as "ruthless" hit the airwaves.
It is a sign that some New Yorkers are not willing to quietly accept the cuts and layoffs proposed by Bloomberg. But the mayor says the reductions are needed to balance the budget.
Union leaders are also pushing back against the mayor's plan to push cost-saving changes to the pension system and for unions to start paying a percentage of their healthcare costs.
Workers' leaders have not agreed to either proposal yet.
"When you actually change the pension situation, you are actually slashing salaries," said United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.
The layoffs for next year, nearly 3,800 in all, hit some city agencies harder than others.
Libraries account for 943 of the jobs lost, the police department will lose 395 civilians, 414 will be laid off from cultural institutions and 608 positions will be cut from children's services.
"We clearly need to find the resources to protect the most vulnerable fragile households in this city," said Jennifer March-Joly of the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York.
For libraries, the cuts and layoffs may mean an end to six-day library service, fewer programs and a reduction in the number of acquired books and materials.
"Imagine taking almost a quarter of your personal family budget away. You can only stretch so far," said Paul LeClerc of the New York Public Library.
Advocates say the budget cuts will hit child care, afterschool programs, senior services and literacy classes.
"These are the critical services we hope our cities leaders, the mayor and the City Council, can figure out how to protect," said Susan Stamler of United Neighborhood Houses.
Now the advocates have before the start of the fiscal year on July 1 to figure out how to save some of the programs and keep the layoffs to a minimum.