(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

additional job interruptions

City notifies 150 more employees of temporary lay-offs

Apr 25, 2020 | 1:08 PM

The City of Red Deer says approximately 150 employees were issued temporary work interruption notices on Friday.

Of the 150, 72 are permanent part-time workers with jobs throughout the city in the Recreation, Parks and Culture division. The other 78 are permanent full-time employees who work in Corporate Services, Planning, Development Services, and Transit, to name a few.

Facility closures and reprioritized work means some programs and services are not currently being delivered, the municipality says in a release, thus making this decision necessary.

“This is a difficult decision, but right now our business looks different than it ever has before, and this action is necessary as we navigate the days ahead and plan for a time when we can once again, deliver the many municipal programs and services our citizens want and need,” says Allan Seabrooke, City Manager. “We have a fiduciary responsibility to examine our services and staffing levels to ensure a strong financial future.”

Seabrooke says the City will save upwards of $850,000 per month by making these temporary lay-offs.

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Meantime, workers have been provided a number of options as agreed by their various unions.

“Our municipal employees truly are the backbone of this organization,” says Seabrooke. “They serve our citizens with pride in service to our community, and we know that any work interruption may have significant impacts on the lives of our employees at a time when the uncertainty of COVID-19 leaves us all feeling vulnerable and anxious about what the future holds.”

Last month, the City laid off approximately 165 casual employees following the closure of rec and culture facilities. That decision will save the City an average of $250,000 monthly, Seabrooke notes.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing wide scale employment impacts across our community as a result of the pandemic,” says Mayor Tara Veer. “The City continues to perform necessary and essential services to our citizens, but many other areas of our business look different than even a few weeks ago and has necessitated this temporary work interruption in the wake of our current financial reality. We look forward to welcoming back affected employees and resuming operations and community life when it is safe and possible to do so.”

Seabrooke adds that the City is anticipating legislation to be approved at the provincial level which would allow municipalities to extend a state of local emergency by 90 days rather than just one week at a time.

He says at this point, the fate of rec and culture facilities past June 30 hasn’t been decided, but the City is following provincial health guidelines. The decision to close those facilities was made March 21.

Canada Day celebrations hosted by the Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society at Bower Ponds, however, while not officially cancelled yet, will likely be one of the first dominoes to fall, Seabrooke says.