Dozens of Atlanta city workers, including Department of Corrections and airport employees, were notified on Tuesday they would be terminated at the end of this fiscal year.
The move, while not a complete surprise, came as the city moved closer to finalizing a $558 million budget for 2011.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed recently warned members of the City Council's finance executive committee that layoffs were coming. Reed said in April that 67 airports workers would lose their jobs and another 62 vacant positions would be abolished. He also noted that other city agencies would be hit as well, but did not say what positions and how many.
In a 122-page personnel paper, in the form of a city ordinance that the council eventually will vote on, dozens of people will lose their jobs while other positions will be reclassified or the salary structure will change. The technical term for the layoffs is “reduction in force,” more commonly known as “riffed.”
Throughout the day, city workers filed through city hall to pick up their separation packages.
Gina Pagnotta, Professional Association of City Employees president, said workers were never officially informed of their status and found out through the city’s Web site.
“Even corporations who have laid off people treat them with more dignity than we have treated our employees,” Pagnotta said.
Aside from the airport positions, Pagnotta said workers in planning and development, the bureau of buildings and the parks department have lost their jobs.
Pagnotta noted the city announced last week that there would be $10 million to $15 million in a 2010 overage, which would go into the 2011 general fund.
“If you in the black, why are you riffing?” Pagnotta asked. “I hope these employees are not being riffed to save money to go somewhere else.”
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