New Haven mayor to impose furloughs on 37 workers

New Haven — The goal is to get $3.6 million in concessions from city workers to help with a tight budget and projected deficits.

That was announced by Director of Labor Relations Thomas McCarthy last year during negotiations with the city’s unions and it was built into the 2018-19 budget.

Mayor Toni Harp on Tuesday afternoon sent a letter to the executive management and confidential employees in the city, some 37 workers, requiring that they take three days of unpaid furlough, or 21 hours, over the fiscal year.

“As leaders in our various departments and our city, we need to be role models in demonstrating our support of sound fiscal responsibility,” the mayor wrote, after reminding them of the city’s financial problems.

The staff was told it could take the increments in as small as one hour at a time, subject to approval of their department head or coordinator. It will be implemented similarly to personal time: it must be requested in advance and approved the same way as personal time.

The 21 hours must be used and recorded before June 30, 2019.

“Implementing this furlough time in this manner permits the continued operations of your department with a lessened impact to services, while creating a savings for the city,” Harp wrote.

The mayor started the letter by recognizing the employees “hard work and dedication in serving the great people of New Haven.”