County Trims 7 Percent Of Workforce

A Teamster's official said Friday that union representation among government employees is more vital than ever now that the county has begun trimming its workforce.

"The workers are very concerned with the pending layoffs," said John Sholtes, business agent for Teamster Local Union 79. "They have concerns for their job security and they feel a union contract would help give them that security."

In all, Hernando County in the past 12 months has either eliminated or shuffled around 55 full-time positions, representing 7 percent of its 759-member workforce, according to county human resources statistics.

That number includes board of county commissioner employees, not constitutional office workers.

The county this week approved an early leave retirement plan - part of County Administrator David Hamilton's government streamlining initiative - designed to reduce the workforce.

The first step toward unionization begins Wednesday, when the state tabulates the results of county government employees as to whether they favor organizing collectively as a whole or splitting into two bargaining units.

The two units would separate the professional and nonprofessional county workers.

This is only the first decision government employees will go through as they decide whether to unionize.

Next, they would have to vote as to whether to allow the Teamsters Local 79 to represent them. If so, a formal vote to unionize would occur soon after.

If that election occurs, it would require 50 percent plus one of the county's approximately 800 eligible employees to vote in favor of union representation.

Should they opt to unionize, the state would certify the election and the Teamsters would become the employees' bargaining agent.

Then, the union would begin contract negotiations with the county.

Here is how the county trimmed its workforce by 55 people:

•31 positions eliminated and not filled from public works, facility maintenance, development department, emergency management, library, parks, community relations, purchasing and recreation.

•16 positions eliminated from emergency management, office of management and budget, facilities, county extension, planning, development. But those employees were transferred to other departments, including constitutional officers.

•Four positions eliminated through attrition - all from the county fire department.

•Positions not filled because of employee retirement from utilities, county extension and code enforcement.