Yesterday I said goodbye to some of the finest men and women it has been my privilege to work with. I attended a farewell gathering where we paid tribute to the people of the ILL department which has been closed due to budget cuts. Here at CCPL the reality of layoffs has hit home, and we now begin the mourning of the loss of our friends and co workers.
To my shock and dismay, management chose this exact moment to kick off their annual United Way campaign. They have plastered the walls with colorful posters in a poorly timed effort to launch another successful fund raising drive. The library takes pride in the generosity of its hard working employees, and over the years, we have been generous, and have always made our fund raising goals. In my opinion, however, perhaps a funeral is not the right time or place to launch what now feels like a politically motivated charity campaign. It seems as if an effort is being made to sweep the bad PR of layoffs quickly under the rug and replace it with the good PR of the library's contributions to the community.
What would have been the harm in waiting a few weeks until we'd said our goodbyes and shed our tears? Our generosity would not have changed and the bitter taste of loss would not have clouded our thoughts. As it now stands, I find it difficult, no, I find it impossible to pledge my wages to a community fund drive while Katie struggles to provide for her four year old daughter. My enthusiasm ebbs and stalls while my thoughts center around Donna's attempts to pay both her mortgage and her health insurance.
I have supported United Way for many years but today I simply cannot. I prefer to send my contributions to my unemployed friends in love and anonymity. I will not help CCPL management put on a generous front to the community while watching them close and lock the doors of work and opportunity on my co-workers. Charity Begins at Home, or so I've heard it said. I believe it's time we started taking care of our own.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Behind The Headlines
How many times have you scanned a news headline and read; Six Die In Late Night Crash, Three Arrested For Home Invasion, Twenty One Workers Let Go At Local Business, and wondered just who these people are? Or have you become so use to the chaos that you simply move on to another headline, not bothering to read further and note the names behind the news.
Recently we at CCPL (Cuyahoga County Public Library) have been in the news. Our headlines read, Library Announces Reduction In Staff. The neatly "crafted" article goes on to say: Four million dollars worth of cutbacks in wages and benefits are expected. What that really means is that forty one flesh and blood people, friends and co-workers of mine, will join the ranks of the unemployed.
I managed to survive this round of lay offs by the skin of my teeth and a few years seniority. I may not be so lucky next year. While I continue to work, I want to remember the faces of those who once sat beside me. I'd like to share their faces with you in an effort to humanize the tragedy behind this economic death spiral we are now in. With their permission, I present to you a few of the real victims of this latest headline.
Katie is a thirty one year old divorced single mother. She and her four year old daughter live with her mom because court ordered child support has remained unpaid for as long as she can remember. Katie has worked in the Acquisitions department for a little over a year. During this time she has worked hard both on the job and off. She was one of the dedicated employees who manned the phone banks last fall in an effort to get the tax levy passed for the library. She also went door to door to deliver the message to the local tax payers and stood out front at the polls when election day arrived. Thanks to her, and others like her, the levy was passed. Her reward for this outstanding effort is unemployment.
Well, not exactly unemployment. Katie has been offered a job at the Strongsville branch as a part time (twenty hour) page. The lowest paid job in the system with half the hours she had before. Her health care benefits will be cut accordingly. She had begun the enrollment process for night classes at college. Now that too must be put on hold. Katie's smile and her boundless energy will be missed. CCPL has thrown away one of its finest assets.
Debbie is a forty six year old wife and mother of two college bound daughters. She has worked in the Processing department for slightly less than one year and therefore was one of the first to be cut in the lay offs. There are no options for her. She must apply for unemployment. While her job loss is not as tragic as some others, there is a ripple effect to her loss of income.
Debbie's income was the family's main source for college tuition. Her oldest daughter will have to begin classes this fall without that help. Still, not a tragedy, as hard work and sacrifice can make a college degree possible for both girls. However there is another ripple effect which comes into play. Debbie's elderly mother is on a fixed income and living in a house, which in this economy, she has been unable to sell. Like many other Americans, her main source of equity for retirement is in that house. Debbie's income was helping to pay her moms bills and buy groceries when Social Security couldn't be stretched far enough. The cost of her unemployment reaches far beyond the family's desire for a second income.
One last ironic twist to Debbie's situation. A year ago she was a part time page at one of the library branches. She applied for the job in Processing and won out over nearly one hundred other applicants. She learned quickly and met our daily quotas with ease. Now, because she is just a few months short of the required one year probation period she can not even go back to her page job. Lay off was her only option.
Donna is a fifty six year old divorced woman living alone at this time with no dependents. She has been self sufficient for many years, trying to save for retirement through a frugal life style. Donna has worked in the Processing department for a little more than five years. Thrilled at having landed full time work at CCPL and completing the mandatory one year probation period, she made the decision to become a home owner. Though she has no credit card debt she now has a mortgage along with the usual property taxes, insurance and utilities bills.
Like most independent women her age she faces a health care crisis if she loses her insurance benefits. She simply can not afford the monthly cost of insurance through Cobra or any other agency. Donna has lost her full time position and, like Katie, has been placed in a branch as a part time page with a thirty hour work week. Whether this cut in pay, hours, and benefits will make it possible for her to make her mortgage payments and keep her insurance, remains to be seen. I identify more with Donna than anyone else, as we are only a few years apart in age. I simply cannot imagine the courage it will take for her to pull through this financial crisis.
Remember, if you will, these real people behind the headlines.
Recently we at CCPL (Cuyahoga County Public Library) have been in the news. Our headlines read, Library Announces Reduction In Staff. The neatly "crafted" article goes on to say: Four million dollars worth of cutbacks in wages and benefits are expected. What that really means is that forty one flesh and blood people, friends and co-workers of mine, will join the ranks of the unemployed.
I managed to survive this round of lay offs by the skin of my teeth and a few years seniority. I may not be so lucky next year. While I continue to work, I want to remember the faces of those who once sat beside me. I'd like to share their faces with you in an effort to humanize the tragedy behind this economic death spiral we are now in. With their permission, I present to you a few of the real victims of this latest headline.
Katie is a thirty one year old divorced single mother. She and her four year old daughter live with her mom because court ordered child support has remained unpaid for as long as she can remember. Katie has worked in the Acquisitions department for a little over a year. During this time she has worked hard both on the job and off. She was one of the dedicated employees who manned the phone banks last fall in an effort to get the tax levy passed for the library. She also went door to door to deliver the message to the local tax payers and stood out front at the polls when election day arrived. Thanks to her, and others like her, the levy was passed. Her reward for this outstanding effort is unemployment.
Well, not exactly unemployment. Katie has been offered a job at the Strongsville branch as a part time (twenty hour) page. The lowest paid job in the system with half the hours she had before. Her health care benefits will be cut accordingly. She had begun the enrollment process for night classes at college. Now that too must be put on hold. Katie's smile and her boundless energy will be missed. CCPL has thrown away one of its finest assets.
Debbie is a forty six year old wife and mother of two college bound daughters. She has worked in the Processing department for slightly less than one year and therefore was one of the first to be cut in the lay offs. There are no options for her. She must apply for unemployment. While her job loss is not as tragic as some others, there is a ripple effect to her loss of income.
Debbie's income was the family's main source for college tuition. Her oldest daughter will have to begin classes this fall without that help. Still, not a tragedy, as hard work and sacrifice can make a college degree possible for both girls. However there is another ripple effect which comes into play. Debbie's elderly mother is on a fixed income and living in a house, which in this economy, she has been unable to sell. Like many other Americans, her main source of equity for retirement is in that house. Debbie's income was helping to pay her moms bills and buy groceries when Social Security couldn't be stretched far enough. The cost of her unemployment reaches far beyond the family's desire for a second income.
One last ironic twist to Debbie's situation. A year ago she was a part time page at one of the library branches. She applied for the job in Processing and won out over nearly one hundred other applicants. She learned quickly and met our daily quotas with ease. Now, because she is just a few months short of the required one year probation period she can not even go back to her page job. Lay off was her only option.
Donna is a fifty six year old divorced woman living alone at this time with no dependents. She has been self sufficient for many years, trying to save for retirement through a frugal life style. Donna has worked in the Processing department for a little more than five years. Thrilled at having landed full time work at CCPL and completing the mandatory one year probation period, she made the decision to become a home owner. Though she has no credit card debt she now has a mortgage along with the usual property taxes, insurance and utilities bills.
Like most independent women her age she faces a health care crisis if she loses her insurance benefits. She simply can not afford the monthly cost of insurance through Cobra or any other agency. Donna has lost her full time position and, like Katie, has been placed in a branch as a part time page with a thirty hour work week. Whether this cut in pay, hours, and benefits will make it possible for her to make her mortgage payments and keep her insurance, remains to be seen. I identify more with Donna than anyone else, as we are only a few years apart in age. I simply cannot imagine the courage it will take for her to pull through this financial crisis.
Remember, if you will, these real people behind the headlines.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
