The state work force will grow by 3,200 by the end of the next fiscal year, if Gov. George Pataki's Executive Budget for 2000-2001 is approved by the Legislature as proposed.

The governor unveiled his $76.8 billion spending plan on January 11, and it calls for filling 1,700 state-employee positions by the end of the current fiscal year on March 31, and adding another 1,500 positions by the end of the following fiscal year. While an exact breakdown of the new staff positions is not yet available, according to the governor, most of the staff increases will be made in the state's criminal-justice and mental-hygiene agencies.

PEF's preliminary analysis of the budget shows the bulk of the new jobs in criminal-justice agencies will be for a new correctional facility, and those in mental-hygiene staffing are slated for new transitional residences for the mentally ill, and community and forensic services for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled.

Welcome relief

"It's clearly good news for New York taxpayers that the governor plans to add some 3,200 employees to the state work force, because the quality of state services will be improved as we restore staff in agencies hit hard by previous budget cuts," said PEF President Roger Benson.

"These additions seem to acknowledge that work force cuts made during the governor's first term in office went too deep.

"I'm pleased about the new funding for services for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled, but disappointed that 150 shared-services staff were not restored," Benson added. "We will be closely monitoring how these new programs are implemented to ensure they deliver the much needed increases in services to these vulnerable citizens."

'Super' Justice agency

Gov. Pataki also revealed an ambitious plan to combine all of the state's criminal-justice agencies into a new "Department of Justice," adding more than 800 new positions. But in the process, some 200 administrative-support positions would be eliminated in those agencies - which include the Division of Parole, Department of Correctional Services and Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives. And the governor's spending plan would also cut jobs in the state Tax and Finance Department.

"I am concerned about the proposed reorganization of the state's criminal-justice agencies, especially the proposed cuts in administrative-support staff," Benson said. "We must ensure those reductions do not compromise our parole officers' ability to protect our communities. We will aggressively work to restore these cuts in this legislative session."

PEF Director of Civil Service Enforcement Tom Cetrino says the governor's budget abolishes a total of 100 jobs, but does not call for any layoffs. Another 1,100 jobs will be eliminated through attrition and any affected employees would be re-deployed, or offered the same early-retirement-incentive option available during the last several years.

And the governor's budget directs the state Education Department to come up with a plan cut its "general fund" staff by 10 percent in 2001-'02. Benson warned those cuts may negatively affect services to schools and compromise their ability to meet new state standards.

Money for contracts

The governor's budget proposal also includes $475 million for union contracts. Benson said that appears to be good news for PEF members.
"I'm cautiously optimistic this budget proposal means our fight for a fair contract will soon be favorably resolved," he said.

"It's encouraging the governor has announced he's setting aside some $475 million for union contracts, and I am interested to see how this will translate at the bargaining table with PEF."

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