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YSU union reacts to job losses
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown State University union taking the brunt of the budget cuts says the university is temporarily patching its deficit by destroying the careers of 15 employees.
The university issued notices Wednesday to nine members of the Association of Classified Employees, two Association of Professional/Administrative Staff members and four exempt employees, informing them their jobs were being eliminated.
The notices came after YSU trustees’ finance and facilities committee approved a $173 million budget that includes permanent cuts. The reductions are part of YSU’s plan to slash its structural budget deficit. With the latest cuts, the deficit is down to $7.3 million.
More cuts are expected, university officials have said.
“The administration is trying to balance their budget on the backs of the employees with abolishments and increases in tuition and fees,” ACE president Connie Frisby said in a Thursday statement. “They cannot keep looking to employees, who have been tolerating taking home less money each year for the past three years in an attempt to ease the burden.”
In its rationale for the layoffs sent to the state administrative services director, the university states that positions were chosen based on salary/benefit amounts.
“This is true. The administration looked for those dedicated employees who have years of experience and knowledge,” Frisby wrote. “Did they forget that knowledge is one of the most valuable assets of an organization?”
In an email, Ron Cole, university spokesman, said the personnel actions were enacted after months of careful consideration of the university’s budget.
“While the actions are unfortunate and difficult, while they impact the careers and lives of our very dedicated employees and while they undoubtedly will impact university work, they also are certainly necessary,” his email says.
YSU’s general-fund revenue streams have decreased by $19.5 million over the past three years. That’s expected to increase to about $22 million in the upcoming fiscal year, Cole said.
“Given the significant losses in revenue and the fact that about 70 percent of the university’s expenditures are related to personnel, it becomes obvious that any budgetary restructuring must, unfortunately, involve employees,” the university spokesman said. “Even with these actions, the university still faces a structural budget deficit of about $7 million. The administration will continue to explore additional budget savings, including possible further reductions in personnel.”
The nine ACE employees who are losing their jobs have a combined total of 100 years experience.
“Once at 420 members, with the 2008-2011 contract nearly 100 members chose to take advantage of an Early Retirement Incentive Program,” Frisby wrote. “After the last round of abolishments and the removal of a large number of unfilled positions off the books, membership is approximately 340. Even fewer now.”
Up until the university announced abolishment of the positions, hiring was ongoing, the union president contends.
“Now currently, hiring has been placed on hold, ‘unless decided a position is critical,’ which means they can continue to hire if they wanted to,” the statement says. YSU has more administrators now than when enrollment was at its peak, the union president said.
During the last round of budget cuts, the university’s unions met with former President Randy Dunn and other members of the administration, making recommendations to reduce the budget, but none of those suggestions was implemented, Frisby points out in the statement.
“We continue to supplement athletics, at a staggering figure, from the general fund,” she said. “We are administrator top heavy.”
Everyone is responsible for their actions, Frisby said.
“When are administration and the board going to be held accountable for theirs? It is not the employees who have made spending decisions,” she said.
Cole said in the email that YSU’s administration is charged with maintaining the institution’s financial viability.
“The budget actions announced this week uphold that responsibility,” he said.