Clock Is Ticking On City Of Tulsa Salary Reductions Or Layoffs

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK -- Salary reductions and the threat of layoffs have most city of Tulsa employees on edge. 

Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett wants to cut pay to save jobs, but if the police and fire unions say 'no,' then he says he will lay off personnel starting next week. 

1/13/2010 Related story: Tulsa Mayor Doesn't Foresee Any Options Besides Cuts Or Layoffs

The question now is will the police union go for it.

Under Bartlett's proposal, the FOP will have to accept a 7.5 percent pay cut and make concessions like losing their uniform allowance, stipends for special assignments. 

In addition, the FOP says the proposal would change the way seasoned officers get paid.

The FOP says when you consider all of the items together; it is more like a 12 percent cut. 

1/13/2010 Related story: Tensions Continue To Grow Between Mayor, Union

Bartlett says the cuts are unavoidable and prevent people from losing their jobs, but the FOP says it needs more time to iron out a solution.

"At the end of the day, they walk out they have a paycheck, they have their health benefits covered, they have their pensions covered. What a great thing it is to have the breadwinner still come home with a paycheck," said Mayor Dewey Bartlett. 

"It's not good.  The only meeting we've had with the mayor is when he met with us yesterday to show us this proposal and there was no give or take.  It was you either do this proposal at the bottom or the top proposal will be forced upon you next week," said FOP member and Tulsa Police officer Ross Ford. 

The mayor wants a decision from the FOP by Friday. 

If the union doesn't accept the pay cuts, the Tulsa Police Department would have to cut 135 positions. 

Bartlett's proposal for the Tulsa Fire Department is a 8.5 percent salary reduction and benefit concessions.

If the Tulsa firefighter union local turns down the mayor's proposal, their department would cut 130 positions.