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SF workers vow to fight against layoffs and clinic closures
Hundreds of city workers, including many of the 127 employees who received layoff notices last Monday, gathered for a rally and march Wednesday to protest Mayor Daniel Lurie's budget cuts. The mayor has indicated he plans a total of 500 layoffs due to a large projected deficit in the future, and cuts in federal and state funding to the city.
SAN FRANCISCO - Pushback against San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's layoffs and budget cuts were on display Wednesday, as hundreds of city workers rallied outside San Francisco General Hospital, including some of the 127 employees who received layoff notices last Monday.
Rally over layoffs
By the numbers:
The rally included personal stories from workers and patients, who say the mayor should not go through with his proposed 500 layoffs, and instead, do more to explore other options for balancing the budget and addressing the projected shortfall.
"I am so angry. The city has chosen rich people, rich corporations over employees," said Jeannette Longtin, a senior counselor with the Employee Assistance Program.
Longtin says two counselors for city employees had more than 4,000 requests for help last year. Both were laid off, and the work is being diverted to a private company outside the city.
"It's going to private contract, yes, and they told us they're going to throw more money at it, and they're going to have them do the services we're doing, although they won't be able to do all of it," Longtin said.
Clinical health care workers also cut
What they're saying:
Four nurses from Laguna Honda also said their specialty care division was cut.
"It honestly felt like a disrespectful punch in the gut. We had heard from the mayor and from our public health director that no clinical positions were going to be affected. And our title is clinical nurse specialist," said Kathleen MacKerrow, a Laguna Honda Hospital nurse.
Two youth clinics and a senior clinic are also slated to close.
"I'm losing my healthcare. They're losing their source of income. It's a terrible situation when health care is so low on the priority list," Joanie Marquardt, a patient, said.
City facing large shortfall
The other side:
The city's report points to a projected $642.8 million general fund shortfall over the next two years, and says there have already been cost-cutting measures from the top, along with thousands of positions that will remain unfilled.
Also, on Wednesday, a group of some 50 high school students also rallied, taking to the steps of San Francisco city hall and making rounds to offices of the mayor and supervisors.
The Youthworks program assists students with school, summer employment, and other support programs. The program is facing budget cuts, and students say it is important to support education and the city's youth.
Some people are calling for more support for city programs that they say save money.
Jason Hecker is a senior analyst with the San Francisco Police Department's Violence Reduction Initiative. He and one other analyst were laid off last week, leaving just two other analysts and a lieutenant in the program.
"It's gut-wrenching because what we do is so important," Hecker said.
Hecker says the program was honored by the city for helping to reduce murders and violent crime, and he says that's an example of a program that saves the city money by lowering court and community costs.
"The University of Pennsylvania crime analyst unit found the VRI unit was responsible for a 50% drop in crime in District 10, which was the primary district we were operating in," Hecker said.
The mayor has pointed to federal and state reductions in funding to the city.
Union members say they plan to rally again on April 20 before a Health Department meeting to formally review the closure of the clinics.