Tag Archives: layoffs

There won’t be furloughs after all

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

A slightly confusing bit of good news. Houston will not need to furlough roughly 3,000 city employees nor cancel its police cadet classes in the upcoming budget year, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin announced during a city council budget committee … Continue reading →

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Here come the furloughs

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We said this was gonna be bad, right? Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, facing an economy hammered by the coronavirus pandemic and collapsing oil prices, on Tuesday proposed to close an upcoming budget gap by furloughing about 3,000 municipal workers, deferring … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Did we mention that the next city budget is gonna suck?

Posted on April 22, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Because it is, in case we hadn’t mentioned it before. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that the coronavirus crisis will impact “every facet of city governance” and require furloughs of city workers, though he declined to say how many … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Do you believe in magical thinking?

Posted on September 24, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I did not read this long profile of Tony Buzbee, because life is short and we all have better things to do. I did briefly scan the print version a bit, and in doing so I noticed the following paragraph, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

By the way, City Council passed the budget

Posted on June 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, this was pretty boring. Which is a good thing. Houston city council approved Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $5.1 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year with little commotion Wednesday, authorizing a spending plan that was scrambled at the … Continue reading →

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Prop B layoffs rescinded

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

No Prop B, no need for layoffs. Funny how that works. Houston City Council on Wednesday formally reversed the 220 firefighter layoffs and hundreds of demotions it approved earlier this year, making official Mayor Sylvester Turner’s pledge not to lay … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Prop B ruled unconstitutional

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, my. A state district judge on Wednesday ruled Proposition B, the voter-approved measure that grants Houston firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank and seniority, unconstitutional and void. The ruling came in a lawsuit brought in November … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Firefighters get Prop B back pay

Posted on May 12, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The city of Houston on Friday issued lump-sum paychecks to more than 3,900 firefighters, a move Mayor Sylvester Turner said reflects the implementation, retroactive to Jan. 1, of Proposition B, the measure granting firefighters the same pay … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Here’s the Mayor’s budget

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of people won’t like it, but this is what happens when you heap a big expense on top of an already tight fiscal situation. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Tuesday proposed to close Houston’s $179 million budget gap for … Continue reading →

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Mediation fails to achieve Prop B agreement

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday said a court-appointed mediator has declared negotiations between the city and firefighters union over the implementation of Proposition B at impasse, potentially leaving the future of … Continue reading →

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Layoffs and demotions

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’m so ready for this to be resolved. Houston firefighters have started to receive layoff notices amid the implementation of Proposition B, Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association President Marty Lancton said in a statement Wednesday. Houston City Council voted last … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Council approves firefighter layoffs

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

And here we are. City Council voted Wednesday to send 60-day layoff notices to 220 Houston firefighters to help pay for Proposition B, the voter-approved measure giving firefighters equal pay to police officers of corresponding rank and experience. The 10-6 … Continue reading →

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Off to mediation we go

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hope for the best, y’all. Mediation soon will begin in a lawsuit between the Houston police and firefighters unions over Proposition B, the voter-approved measure that gives firefighters equal pay to police officers. In a Monday morning filing, State District … Continue reading →

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Mediation ordered in Prop B lawsuit

Posted on April 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. A state district judge on Thursday ordered the city, the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association and the Houston Police Officers’ Union to enter into mediation as they seek to resolve lingering differences over the implementation … Continue reading →

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What will Council do about Prop B layoffs?

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’re gonna find out. Mayor Sylvester Turner told the Houston fire union Monday he would provide it with financial data leaders requested, a sign of progress at a critical point in negotiations between the mayor and union to phase in … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Is there a city/firefighters agreement in the works?

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

They’re talking, for whatever it’s worth. Officials from the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association said Friday they would seek union members’ approval of a 3.5-year phase-in of Proposition B if the city meets certain conditions. After meeting with the union … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

First city layoff notices sent

Posted on April 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. The city has sent pink slips to 67 Houston Fire Department cadets, the first documented layoffs resulting from Mayor Sylvester Turner’s plan to implement Proposition B. The trainees will remain employed through June 7, according to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The further effects of Prop B

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, what did you expect? The Houston Fire Department would idle six to nine fire trucks and employ fewer firefighters per shift, risking a modest increase in response times, if City Council approves a $25 million reduction in HFD’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

How would you implement Prop B?

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Here, from last week, is Mayor Turner’s official announcement about layoffs, following a failure to come to an agreement with the firefighters’ union about a time frame to fully implement Prop B. Here’s the Chron story about the firefighters protesting … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Firefighter layoffs

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Hoo boy. Mayor Sylvester Turner plans to lay off up to 400 firefighters as he prepares to award pay raises required by Proposition B, the voter-approved charter amendment that grants firefighters the same pay as police of corresponding rank, according … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Former drivers sue Uber and Lyft over leaving Austin

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. A pair of former drivers for Uber and Lyft filed dual class action lawsuits Thursday against the ride-hailing companies over their abrupt exit last month from the Austin market. The lawsuits, filed in the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Turner announces his budget

Posted on April 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Utilizing a shared sacrifice approach, Mayor Sylvester Turner today unveiled a proposed Fiscal Year 2017 General Fund budget that eliminates a projected $160 million shortfall that was the result of cost increases, voter imposed revenue limitations, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

More cuts, fewer teachers

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We knew this was what had happened, and now we have the numbers. New data from the Texas Education Agency illustrate what school officials have decried for months: Their staffs are stretched thin following the unprecedented state budget cuts that … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Job growth in 2012

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Depending on how you look at it, there’s good news, or fair-to-middling news for the Texas job market next year. Texas job growth in 2012 will reach about 2 percent for the third consecutive year, Federal Reserve Senior Economist Keith … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How’s that Texas miracle going?

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Not so good. The Texas unemployment rate reached 8.5 percent in August, its highest rate since June of 1987. That’s an increase from 8.4 percent in July. Those numbers come from the U.S. Department of Labor. The numbers were confirmed … Continue reading →

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Back to school

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Time to do more with less, kids. Just don’t expect to be cut any slack on those standardized tests. When Texas students return to public schools this week, some will see a slight uptick in class sizes and fewer teachers, … Continue reading →

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Austin ISD rehiring some teachers

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

A little bit of good news. The Austin school board voted Monday to abandon plans to expand class sizes to save money, reverting to the ideal student-teacher ratio of 22-to-1 for classes in kindergarten through the fourth grade and prompting … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Day One at the SBOE

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your TFN Insider coverage of today’s SBOE science hearings. In Part I of the hearings, we find that the SBOE may not be such a major factor in school curriculum any more: 10:20  – Board members are quizzing the … Continue reading →

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Does Perry get any credit?

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

What credit, if any, should Rick Perry get for Texas’ relatively good economic condition? This Statesman story aims to find out. As Gov. Rick Perry’s flirtation with running for president puts the Texas economy under a microscope, there’s no question … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget ballyhoo | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Austin braces for job losses

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here they come. The Texas Education Agency said Tuesday that it is laying off 178 employees this week. Those are among the first of thousands of state government layoffs expected in the coming weeks. The TEA decision … Continue reading →

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You may say to yourself “Well, how did I get here?”

Posted on June 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

What’s missing from this story? The city of Houston’s budget crisis that has resulted in 747 employees getting pink slips last month and likely will close pools and community centers did not happen overnight. It has been brewing for the … Continue reading →

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The city’s 2012 budget

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Cuts, deferred payments, and more cuts. Mayor Annise Parker, facing what she described as the toughest fiscal environment in more than 20 years, on Thursday proposed a $1.8 billion budget that calls for laying off 747 employees, closing pools and … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Firefighters avoid layoffs

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The city and the firefighters’ union reach an agreement on the deadline for sending layoff notices to cut HFD’s budget by $17.7 million but not require any layoffs. The agreement’s components include program cuts and fees for services that are … Continue reading →

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More city layoffs

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

How high will it get? More than 600 city employees have received layoff notices this month as the city sheds payroll in a budget crisis. The count is mounting daily as city leaders orchestrate a department-by-department approach to telling their … Continue reading →

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