(Updated 2:05 p.m.) After 24 1/2 years in city government, Len Aronow is being laid off for the second time in three months — this time, apparently, for good.
Aronow was one of 34 government workers the city laid off Friday. The DeStefano administration is laying off the workers to help close a $6 million deficit in the current year’s budget.
Officials made public the list of identifying the 34 workers after supervisors met with them at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Friday morning. Click here to view the entire list.
The surprise was that many of the workers have been fixtures in city government for decades, such as public works administrative manager Jane Munoz, public information specialist Bonnie Posick Winchester, and zoning administrator Frank Gargiulo.
The list also included Kay Codish, who as director of the police training academy in the 1990s helped usher in a dramatic shift in law enforcement from a military-oriented to a problem-solving philosophy.
It also included Len Aronow. Until July 1, he worked as a public advocate in City Hall. He received a pink slip, but was able to “bump” into another job under union rules. He went to work as a senior crime analyst in the police department, with a 13 percent pay cut. But now he, like some of the other veteran workers, doesn’t have the bumping option.
“This is, like, bad luck,” Aronow said Friday. He’s 57; his youngest child is in college.
“I’m 42. My life just got stripped away,” said Wilbert Fraizer (pictured), a program supervisor for parks and rec who was among those laid off. He has worked for the city for 21 years.
Fraizer said what hurt the most was that the city is continuing to hire staff, including in police and fire departments, while others are losing their jobs.
Like the rest of the workers, Fraizer will get two weeks’ severance pay. He may get a job back, however — he’s one of a half-dozen people who appear to have bumping rights to stay employed with the city.
City help to laid-off workers depends on whether they agree to sign a “general release.” Those who do get $5,000 in severance, health care benefits through Dec. 31, pension benefits, and three months of access to an employee emotional counseling program. Those who don’t sign? Two weeks’ severance, two months access to the counseling, health care through September.
After their members got word of the layoffs, AFSCME union officials gathered their troops, from Locals 3144 and 884, in a meeting room in City Hall.
“Don’t sign anything” until union lawyers take a look at the severance packages, directed Larry Amendola, president of Local 3144, the city’s management union. He said his members have two weeks to decide whether to sign, so they should take their time before giving their rights away.
The Impact
The cuts hit public works the hardest; eight employees there were laid off. Next came the Board of Education and parks, each of which lost six positions.
Cuts included four members of the public works refuse department. Simon Williams (pictured), a refuse worker who wasn’t laid off, showed up to the morning labor meetings to show solidarity for his fellow workers. He said residents will likely notice the absence on their curbsides.
“We’re already four or five positions down,” Williams said. The refuse crews pick up all the curbside trash, then hit the schools and recycling piles. “With this shortage right here, recycling probably won’t go out until the afternoon.”
A City Hall press release broke down the impact the cuts will have on services:
‚Ä¢ The library lost five workers, one to a layoff and four to early retirements. That means two branches will close each Saturday, on a rotating basis, starting “as early as Sept. 27… Neighborhood branches will operate from 1 – 5 p.m. on Saturdays while the Main Branch on Elm Street will operate from 10 am until 5 p.m. Saturdays.
‚Ä¢ Hours will be cut for after-school programs run at Wexler-Grant and King Robinson schools by the parks department. “The scheduling of adult sports programs in our
parks will be impacted and slowed down dramatically. “
• City evictions will take weeks longer to carry out.
• Elderly shut-ins will receive fewer home visits from outreach workers.
‚Ä¢ The “Early Reading Success” program will see growing class sizes will grow, fewer materials, less administrative supervision.
Frank Gargiulo’s job, zoning enforcement director, will be absorbed by the City Plan department, according to LCI chief Andy Rizzo.
Given “this uncertain national and even global economy,” Mayor John DeStefano has instructed his staff to start looking for more cuts in advance of next year’s budget, which he said could prove “even more challenging.”
“Scapegoats?”
Meanwhile, Executive Director Sal Luciano of AFSCME Council 4, which represents 1,400 city and Board of Ed employees, released the following statement:
“This is a sad day for the residents of New Haven. New Haven public service workers did not create the problems facing this city. Yet today they bear the blame. They are the scapegoats.
“New Haven city workers want, and have offered, to be part of the solution. However, our requests to have informed discussions have been repeatedly ignored. Managing day-by-day, and crisis to crisis, is not acceptable.
“We urge Mayor DeStefano to sit down with us and discuss ways to develop a long-term strategic plan to save public services and improve the quality of life in New Haven for everyone.”
“There’s no scapegoat,” City Chief Administrative Officer Rob Smuts responded. “There wasn’t a willingness on the part of the AFSCME unions to spread the pain out collectively, so we had to do it this way.”
“I think that the city did everything it could to avoid these layoffs,” Smuts said. “We’ve been meeting with the unions since February. It would not have taken much in terms of a proactive give-back” to avoid layoffs.
“It’s not the fault of these workers getting laid off,” he added. “It’s an awful financial situation and unfortunately, there was no alternative.”
Amendola (pictured) countered that he had made several offers of concessions, including a one-day furlough for all members, and a sacrifice of two vacation days. “We did our part,” he said.
“I’m close to the mayor; I respect his opinion,” Amendola said, “But it’s a shame” the layoffs turned out this way.
“After this, I’m thinking about leaving the city,” he said.