Rejection of buyout plan not good for Youngstown

Although Mayor Jay Williams tried to put a positive spin recently on the police patrol officers union’s rejection of an early-retirement buyout incentive plan, it is clear that a goodly number of public employees are still in denial with regard to the new economy and its effect on the workplace.

How else to explain this comment from Doug Pesa, secretary-treasurer of the Youngstown Police Association:

“Those aren’t competitive wages. The entire union felt it was not competitive, and the reduction is excessive. We feel it will do more harm in the long term than it will help.”

Pesa was referring to the administration’s desire to reduce the entry-level annual salary of patrol officers from about $38,000 to $24,000 in one proposal, and to $27,000 in another.

Even more disconcerting was Mayor Williams’ agreement with the union that salaries need to be competitive.

Really? In this economy where jobs are scarce — at least that’s the reality in the private sector — salary comparison shouldn’t even be a consideration.

In the private sector, positions are being eliminated by the thousands, wage freezes and givebacks are the norm and job security is a concept that has been relegated to the economics textbooks.

Having a job that pays a decent wage, with benefits that are above the norm and a lucrative pension plan that includes health care coverage is something that most people, even those with postgraduate college degrees, can only dream about.

Declining tax revenue

Indeed, with private sector employment shrinking, the public sector, which does not generate its own revenue and depends on taxes, is being forced to rethink things.

That reality is starkly evident in Youngstown, which has a shrinking population, and a growing number of residents who are living on fixed incomes — Social Security or welfare.

And things are going to get worse before they get better.

Rather than talk about competitive wages, city government workers should be discussing how to do more with less.

The Williams administration has cut $655,000 from the police department’s salary and benefits budget this year. That means 22 to 26 officers would have to be let go if nothing is done to reduce the operating costs of the department.

The mayor has said he wants to avoid layoffs or hopes to keep the number as low as possible, but to do that he needs the police unions to embrace the early-retirement buyout plan.

The city’s ranking police officers have signed on and it will soon be known how many of the 64 members of the Youngstown Police Ranking Officers union — detective sergeants, sergeants, lieutenants and captains — will take the deal.

But the rejection by the 115-member Youngstown Police Association union is a setback — despite the mayor’s contention that it is not deal-breaker.

Williams offered that appraisal on May 22.

Today, however, layoffs loom — as the story on the front page reveals. The YPA wants the same deal the administration gave the ranking officers.

Recently, we pointed out that the longer the city delays laying off employees, the more expensive it will be.

The administration must not lose sight of the fact that this round of budget cuts is not the final one. The national economy is not expected to make a significant recovery for three years.