Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, February 10, 2009

County Clerk's Office workers agree to unpaid days off

About 50 employees will take unpaid days off to help the County Clerk's Office save money. They will earn extra vacation days in 2010 and 2011.

By Noah Haglund
Herald Writer

 EVERETT -- Employees with the Snohomish County Clerk's Office have agreed to take up to 10 days off without pay this year as part of a countywide belt-tightening effort.

As part of the deal, the workers will receive extra vacation days in 2010 and 2011.

"On the one hand people are disappointed that they have to do this, but these are tough economic times," said Kathryn Fugere, Snohomish County deputy clerk and president of the clerks' association. "There is a sense of pride about saving jobs."

The deal affects just more than 50 employees. While that's a tiny portion of the county's 2,700-strong work force, it shows the potential importance of furloughs to saving jobs.

The president of the union that represents most of the clerk's office said its members voted overwhelmingly for the unpaid days.

The clerks' association represents about 70 of the 79 employees in the office. Not all of them are eligible for furloughs for reasons such as pending retirements or having already lost hours or wages during previous cuts.

The County Council voted 5-0 on Monday in favor of furloughs for the clerks' association.

The County Council has asked all department heads to find new savings to shave a combined $2 million for this year.

County Clerk Sonya Kraski needed to cut $173,000 from her $6.6 million budget. The furloughs, she said, allowed her keep three full-time employees that she otherwise would have had to let go.

"It helped out tremendously," Kraski said.

The County Council has also reached a deal where each staff member in their office must take nine unpaid days throughout the year. It affects 19 workers, but not the councilmen themselves.

Unlike the clerks' association, the staff members in the County Council do not receive any extra vacation.

Furlough talks for most of the county remain stalled.

County Executive Aaron Reardon's office continues to hold informal talks with the largest union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said Christopher Schwarzen, the executive's spokesman. The union represents about 2,000 county workers.

The union head said that County Council has already rejected one deal presented before Christmas. Chris Dugovich also said employees want to know how many jobs the furloughs could save. The union also represents about 1,000 King County employees and had no trouble reaching a furlough deal down there, where many more unions were at the table, Dugovich said.

"In King County, they were real up-front with the information," Dugovich said. "You've got dysfunctional dynamics going on in Snohomish County that aren't going on elsewhere."

The County Council does have an estimate showing that furloughs could save $2 million and 30 jobs. But that estimate assumes average-paying jobs and does not identify what specific positions would have to go.

Noah Haglund: 425-339-3494, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA