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City of Monterey announces layoffs of city employees Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WORKERS WERE HIT FIRST AND HARDEST ON THE PENINSULA... BUT NOW WE ARE SEEING A SECOND WAVE OF LAYOFFS HIT A BROADER RANGE JOBS. 8:12 THIS IS THE HARDEST DAY OF MY EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY OF MONTEREY CITY MANAGER HANS USLAR SAYS THE DECISION TO LET 84 STAFF MEMBERS GO WAS NOT EASY. 8:33 TODAY IS A PARTICULARLY TOUGH DAY AS WE ARE FORCED TO PROPOSE LAYOFFS AFFECTING EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT LOYAL AND PRODUCTIVE AND FAITHFUL TO THE CITIZENS AND VISITORS OF THE CITY OF MONTEREY THE CITY NOT THE ONLY EMPLOYER TALKING ABOUT LAYOFFS THIS WEEK. THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM IS PLANNING TO CUT STAFF TOO. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BEING LET GO IS EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER THIS WEEK ONCE ALL IMPACTED EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. THOSE GETTING IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE WILL JOIN 2.7 MILLION CALIFORNIANS WHO'VE FILED CLAIMS IN THE LAST MONTH.... SOME OF WHOM HAVE YET TO SEE BENEFITS. 2:50I STILL TO THIS DAY HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY EDD MONEY THAT'S THE VOICE OF SUE NEAL-MAY SHE'S A NURSE WHO WAS LAID-OFF A MONTH AGO AND HAS YET TO GET THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ....LIKE MANY SHE GET'S THIS RECORDING EVERY TIME SHE CALLS FOR HELP: 02 WE ARE EXPERIENCING A LARGE VOLUME OF CLAIMS FILED AND ARE EXPANDING OUR STAFF RESOURCES TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND THOSE WHO HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH AND HAVE GOTTEN PAID HAVE THEN HAD TROUBLE ACCESSING THEIR FUNDS. CHRISTIN LOPEZ THE SYSTEM WAS SO OVERWHELMED AND WE COULDN'T DO IT ON THE WEBSITE KEPT CRASHING EVERY TIME WE TRIED TO DO IT SO IT WAS JUST IT WAS REALLY FRUSTRATING FRUSTRATION MOUNTING FOR MANY AS BILL COME IN BUT PAYCHECKS DO NOT. THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ON THE PENINSULA HAS ALREADY LET AN ESTIMATED 15 THOUSAND EMPLOYEES GO .... AND LAYOFFS IN OUR OTHER BIG ECONOMIES HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION COULD BE NEXT... AT MONTAGE HEALTH NO LAYOFFS ARE PLANNED BUT STAFF HAVE BEEN ASKED TO REDUCE THEIR HOURS BY 10 PERCENT AND TAKE PAID LEAVE. AND AT MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES THE SCHOOL HAS COMMITTED TO PAYING PEOPLE THROUGH JUNE 30TH BUT IS NOT GUARANTEEING WAGES PAST THAT DATE. THE CITY OF MONTEREY IS ALSO ASKING ALL OF ITS BARGAINING UNITS TO WORK WITH THEM ON PAY CUTS ACROSS THE BOARD. THE LAYOFFS AT THE CITY WOULD IMPACT EVERY DEPARTMENT... WITH ONLY FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE OFFICERS AND PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES WORKING AS FIRST RESPONDERS IMMUNE TO THE CUTS.