Dispatchers Vote Against Holiday Take-Away

A plan by Allegany County (Md.) officials to reduce the annual payroll of the county’s 911 center received a set-back when the union dispatchers voted 16-3 not to accept a plan that would take away some holiday pay. County officials have been asking unions to accept furloughs to help meet a budget deficit. However, forcing dispatchers to take mandatory days off isn’t practical. So instead, the county proposed that dispatchers not receive pay for a certain number of holidays. The savings seems minimal, according to union officials. They note that 34 of the county’s 45 correctional officers voted to give up pay for two holidays, netting just $23,000 towards a $2 million budget shortfall. Read more about the county’s efforts here.