The head of Montgomery County’s largest employee union said he was preparing his 8,000 members for possible cuts to contracts, which often included 8 percent raises, over the next few years.
Gino Renne, president of the Municipal and County Government Employees Organization Local 1994, added, however, that he would not agree to renegotiate contracts until he was convinced that revenue problems were real.
Renne plans to review financial data with county leaders next week.
“I am preparing my membership for the reality of potentially having to revisit our negotiated agreements,” Renne said. “It seems like a strong possibility.”
Last month, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett announced that thousands of county employees would get at least two days of unpaid and unexpected time off this year after council members directed him to shave $8 million in employee compensation. Leggett said he would not formalize the furloughs until November, warning that additional days of unpaid leave and other cuts may be necessary to solve county budget problems. The county has a budget gap hovering around $250 million for fiscal 2010.
Prince George’s County workers will lose 10 days of pay themselves from mandatory furloughs this year, after union leaders rejected County Executive Jack Johnson’s push to slice their raises.
Renne told The Examiner that he believes the county will struggle with budget problems over the next three to five years, as national economic problems trickle down to local governments.
“It’s not my first rodeo here — this is my 32nd budget,” Renne said. “If the numbers warrant it, I would prefer a long-term solution. That way our work force can prepare for things— I oppose going to the well time and time again because it generates unnecessary anxiety with our membership.”
Leggett’s spokesman Patrick Lacefield said the county’s top elected official has been meeting with all union leaders to “make sure everybody accepts and understands the economic realities here.”
“[Leggett] has been very clear that he won’t raise taxes next year,” Lacefield said. “Last year we did that and cut a lot of things. … The low-hanging fruit is gone.”
Councilwoman Valerie Ervin, a former labor organizer who fought hard to maintain raises for workers during May budget negotiations, said, “We are in a completely different world.”
“We will all have to dig deep this year — and maybe the following year — to maintain the budget and keep people in their jobs,” Ervin said.
