Legislator Calls 4-Day Workweek Right Way To Trim State Deficit

MICHAEL GIANARIS: Four 10-hour shifts a money-saver.

A Queens Assemblyman has proposed to Governor Paterson that the state adopt a four-day workweek for non-essential state employees as a way to save an estimated $30 million per year, an idea that some state unions endorse.

Assemblyman Michael Gianaris said the savings could be used to avoid severe cuts to mass transit or many of the new taxes and fees in the Governor's proposed budget.

'A Win-Win Proposition'

"With a historic budget deficit looming we must identify innovative ways to make our state more efficient," he said. "Before deciding which programs to cut and which taxes to levy, we should first exhaust all efforts to do more with less. Establishing a fourday workweek is a win-win proposition that saves tens of millions of dollars, improves the environment, provides flexibility for our state workforce, and expanded access to state services for the public."

Public Employees Federation President Kenneth Brynien supports the four-day workweek featuring 10-hour shifts wholeheartedly; in fact, his union has proposed it in the past. "As long as it is voluntary, we will consider it," said PEF spokeswoman Darcy Wells. "In the past we did talk about this, but not just a compressed workweek; also telecommuting, voluntary reduction of work schedules and flexible start times. They have been available for 30 years but agencies have been reluctant to go ahead and approve the request."

Civil Service Employees Associa- tion spokesman Stephen Madarasz said union President Danny Donohue did not want the four-day workweek imposed legislatively. "It's basically an issue for collective bargaining," he said. "But we're not throwing cold water on it either."

Sees Need for Exemptions

He used the Department of Taxation and Finance as an example of an agency where this might not work well because the state would need to collect taxes every day. Assemblyman Gianaris's plan calls for first-responders to be exempt, but Mr. Madarasz said there might be myriad other state employees who would need exemptions too.

As Governor Paterson contends with at least a $15.4-billion budget deficit through March 2010, state unions are eager to find cost-saving alternatives that would stave off salary freezes or layoffs. "If it's going to save money and it's not going to decrease productivity, we are in favor of it," Ms. Wells said when asked of Mr. Gianaris's proposal.

After voicing a few gripes about the proposal, Mr. Madarasz added, "We're hearing from a lot of constituents that they are open to it and the savings it would bring."

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer proposed a four-day workweek for Federal employees in August, but the U.S. Office of Personnel Management shot him down. Acting OPM Director Michael Hager stated in a letter to Mr. Hoyer that it would be detrimental to the Federal Government's ability to provide essential services and would weaken national security. He added it might be difficult for those employees who cared for children.

Utah Moving Ahead

Utah plans to become the first state in America to impose a four-day workweek this summer to reduce the state's carbon footprint. The program has been projected to save about $3 million a year. Since Utah has a workforce about one-tenth the size of New York, Governor Paterson could save $30 if he implemented it.

"With an extra $30 million, we could avoid or pare down some of the painful proposals looming before us, such as the service reductions and line closures proposed in the MTA's doomsday budget scenario (which would save $25.2 million), the increase in driver's license fees ($37.6 million in new revenues), or the sales tax on digital media downloads ($20 million)," Mr. Gianaris wrote in a letter to Mr. Paterson.