Tuesday, July 28, 2009
VDOT to cut 60 jobs in Salem District
The state agency announced 600 layoffs statewide, with plans to cut a total of 1,000 by next summer.
The latest from The Ticker blog
The Virginia Department of Transportation said Monday it will dismiss 60 workers who staff VDOT's Salem District operations in the Roanoke and New River valleys and nearby communities.
State transportation commissioner David Ekern announced 600 layoffs agencywide effective this fall. As Ekern briefed reporters in a conference call, supervisors contacted affected employees. It could take till the end of the week to hand out all the pink slips, VDOT said.
The Salem District reduction represents about 6.6 percent of the regional team.
Ekern said the mass layoff, though difficult, is a necessary response to an expected $2.6 billion drop in taxes on gasoline and auto sales and other segments of the transportation sector during Virginia's next six budget years.
On the plus side, the state intends to reassign as many affected employees as possible to other jobs in state government, possibly VDOT, and take advantage of attrition and retirement.
The actual number of people expected to lose their jobs in this round of layoffs is 290 statewide, said Ekern, who did not have a breakdown for the Salem District.
Those leaving the state's employ will be gone by Oct. 24 -- severance package in hand, Ekern said.
VDOT announced this summer it would cut 1,000 full-time positions, reducing employment to 7,500 people, by next summer. As they announced the 600 cuts Monday, officials said another round of job cuts is scheduled in December.
This week's cuts are hitting personnel in construction and project development -- those who do such tasks as surveying, plan inspection, environmental processing and right-of-way acquisition -- and equipment maintenance and repair.
Salem District leaders intend to close nine of 13 equipment maintenance and repair shops and two of six local offices, called residencies.
The highway department already canceled $2 billion worth of planned construction projects, closed 18 rest areas (with one more to close in September) and reduced highway care and safety patrols to stay within a reduced budget.
The changes outlined take into account the effect of money Virginia will get from the federal stimulus bill.
