FOP Asks 'Double-Dippers' To Resign To Avoid More Layoffs
From The Cincinnati Enquirer, February 4

HAMILTON COUNTY, OH – The latest round of layoffs at the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office include too many deputies on the front lines of public safety, while too few top administrators are being cut, critics say.

They also think Sheriff Simon Leis could do more to prevent the layoffs.

"The FOP has never thought these layoffs are necessary," said Dave Stanley, staff representative for the sheriff's union, the FOP Ohio Labor Council.

The union met with Leis behind closed doors Tuesday. Leis plans to lay off 61 workers by Feb. 19. The cuts follow the layoff of 94 workers in December and January and the closing of the Queensgate jail.

"We believe there are cuts that can be made in other areas in the sheriff's office and in Hamilton County rather than those who provide direct service to Hamilton County - those who are on the roads or in the courtroom every day," Stanley said. He said union members voiced those complaints during Tuesday's meeting.

Specifically, union members believe the office is heavy with "double-dippers" - those who retire, collect a pension and are rehired by the department.

The union sent 13 letters to those people Jan. 30, asking them to consider resigning to save jobs.

The department is also heavy with administrative personnel, Stanley said. "Our members see ... fewer corrections officers, one whole jail closed, and I haven't seen any vacant cubicles," he said.

Exactly how many of the cuts are coming from the front lines or the administration was unclear Tuesday. The sheriff's office will not release names, ranks or salaries on any of the layoffs until after all workers are notified.

During the roughly hour-long closed meeting at the sheriff's office, Leis asked the union to take a 2.5 percent pay cut and a benefit reduction to save eight jobs.

The union in turn asked Leis to cut enough from his administrative staff to save eight more jobs. It also asked him to agree to promote from within, and guarantee no more layoffs. Leis refused.

Layoff notices continued Tuesday.

Stanley called it a dead end. "I guess the layoffs will have to move forward," he said. "We did everything we can do. I'm not picking on any group or person, but we would like to see the sheriff make as much sacrifice as he's expecting the union to make. That's all we asked for today and we were told 'No.' "

The sheriff says he's doing the best he can.

Since the beginning of 2008, he has cut 21 percent of the workforce through layoffs and attrition.

This week, Leis laid off the deputy director of corrections - a nearly $81,000 job. He said he cut a supervisor in the technology division, demoted captains and lieutenants and cut or moved data entry operators. Leis gave back his own raise last year to offset budget cuts.

The other upper-level management jobs are the people who run the agency, Leis said. "They are critical to the successful operation of this agency. No matter what decision I make there will be people criticizing me, and I accept that, but I make decisions the best I see fit."

One worker being laid off said he supports the sheriff. Jeff Eiser, deputy director of corrections, received his layoff notice Monday from an emotional Leis.

Eiser, 50, of Colerain Township, is a 29-year veteran of the department and has children in college. But he respects the job Leis has done in a difficult time.

"It's not the sheriff's wishes. He's heartbroken over this," Eiser said. "I commend the sheriff's folk. He's been a fantastic boss. This tears down what he'd built up to be what I consider the finest sheriff's office in the country."

Eiser is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and wants to be a high school government/social studies teacher. He's not panicking about his future.

He worries about younger workers now jobless and about those still at the sheriff's office. "It's not a good situation for the public or for the sheriff's department," he said. "It scares me what's going to happen to the safety of the staff at the Justice Center because of the level of staff."

This is the biggest round of layoffs since 87 workers were let go Christmas Eve. It is unclear why the layoffs have come in spurts rather than all at once. The budget deficit grows deeper every day the office stays over budget.

Leis said he's trying to balance the budget as quickly as possible, but it's a tedious process. More layoffs are likely, he said.