Mayor’s letter asks city unions for concessions

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Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams

YOUNGSTOWN — In a letter to most unionized city employees, Mayor Jay Williams wrote that labor group leaders need to immediately contact the law director to discuss the mayor’s proposal to cut salaries by 10 percent to avoid layoffs.

“We need to make key decisions within the next 30 days so please contact the law department without delay,” Williams wrote.

“Failure to act timely in achieving necessary savings will unfortunately leave little other choice than to implement a reduction in personnel, an undesirable outcome that no one wishes to occur.”

The letter was sent to members of six unions that are paid through the city’s general fund, which is facing a projected $3.39 million deficit this year.

One union paid with general fund money absent from the letter is the International Association of Firefighters, which represents about 140 in the fire department.

That’s because the firefighters union agreed to an early-retirement program last year that saves the city about $1.5 million over a two-year period, 2009 and 2009.

“Due to the considerable savings achieved, firefighter furloughs is not an issue being discussed,” Williams told The Vindicator today. “This is not to say, however, that we may not collaborate with them to try and find additional savings.”

For the complete story, read Friday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com