Everyone employed by the state of Illinois in some capacity is acutely aware of the financial mess the state’s government has produced. They have inaccurately projected the state’s income and fallen behind in funding the day to day operations of the state. They have, over a period of years, instituted new programs and funded existing ones with borrowed money. They have not adequately funded the three state pension funds as a way to reduce their short term, annual deficits. Now we face, for numerous reasons, an unprecedented statewide budget crisis.

One method various state funded organizations are using to save money while keeping their doors open is involuntary furloughs for their employees. The University of Illinois has changed the contracts of their Academic Professionals and expects a change in the Civil Service Rules to allow them to furlough their employees. I have two concerns regarding the change of Civil Service Rules to allow for mandatory furlough days.

One is that the change in Civil Service Rules does not clearly define under what conditions furloughs can be used. Today it’s an unprecedented financial crisis, tomorrow it could be furloughing enough of a unit’s employees to save money to hire a friend of the unit’s leader. The state’s contribution to the University of Illinois (when adjusted for inflation) has been decreasing for at least a decade. Does that mean that this crisis could be or is already permanent? This leads me to my second point.

That point is simply this, any change to the Civil Service Rules instituting furloughs should be temporary. They should expire at the end of a set period of time. Perhaps a period of 18 to 24 months would be adequate.

If permanent or long term reductions in payroll are needed, layoffs can be instituted under the current Civil Service Rules. Our department has already laid off employees. No one wants to see more permanent layoffs occur. Most here would be willing to “share the sacrifice” if it meant keeping the current staff employed. Yet there needs to be a clearly defined end to the furlough policy.

If it becomes permanent, we know that despite the safeguards in the furlough policy, it could be used by less scrupulous leadership in the future to control personnel using fabricated or exaggerated crises.

If the Civil Service Board can write a policy that more clearly defines when University leadership can mandate furloughs and make it a temporary policy change, then it would be more palatable to Civil Service employees. Without that, it will work to our detriment from this time forward.

Randy Whitman,

F&S; electrician,

Champaign, Ill.