Money is running dry for the California State University next year, and students aren’t the only ones feeling the pinch.
The California State University Employee Union announced last week that it will enter talks with the CSU about two-day a month employee furloughs to help with the impending budget crisis. Another union, the Academic Professionals of California, also agreed to discuss furlough negotiations.
According to a CSU public affairs office, the CSU general fund faces a projected $584 million budget deficit for 2009-10. Mandatory furloughs (forced off-days without pay) would save the CSU approximately $275 million.
A release from the chancellor’s office said:
Combined with changes initiated this month to Title 5 that would allow CSU flexibility to furlough management employees, a total of approximately 21,000 of CSU’s overall workforce of 47,000 employees are committed to looking at furloughs as a way to address the budget deficit.
A majority of the CSU’s budget — approximately 80 percent — is used for employee salaries and benefits according to the CSU office. The furloughs would apply to all employees from management to executives, but exclude public safety officials.
What’s your opinion? Are furloughs the best way to address a budget deficit?