The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has notified 230 of its hourly employees across the commonwealth that their employment ended on June 6, as part of the agency’s move to reduce staffing costs.
VDOT announced in February that it would reduce its overall staffing levels by 1,000 full-time employees and 450 wage staff over the next 18 months.
As of Jan. 1, 2009, VDOT employed nearly 600 hourly employees and approximately 8,400 full-time, salaried employees. About 220 wage staff positions were eliminated through attrition and the normal seasonal reduction of part-time employees who assist only with winter snow-removal operations.
On June 6, the 230 remaining wage employees to be released to reach the reduction goal were notified. They are being offered transition assistance, including job search and resume writing training, but as wage employees, they were not eligible for severance benefits.
Among those whose positions were eliminated was Mike P. Salmon, with VDOT’s public affairs department, who issued an appeal to his former contacts.
“I am nearing my last day at VDOT. I was laid off as part of the statewide budget reductions throughout VDOT,” wrote Salmon on June 5. “It’s been great working with everyone in the media over the last few years. I am actively looking for a job in the communications field."
Salmon’s responsibilities at VDOT will be assumed by Jennifer McCord and Joan Morris.
“The reality of our budget shortfall means that we have to prioritize spending on safety-related projects and to maintain our existing highways,” said David S. Ekern, VDOT commissioner. “None of these are easy decisions for us to make. We know that these decisions will impact the public and the lives of our valued professional staff, but we must make the sound business decisions necessary to ensure the long-term viability of Virginia’s transportation system and our department.”
The 8,500 salaried employees working for VDOT are also bracing for cuts. A Virginia General Assembly mandate calls for VDOT to have no more than 7,500 employees by July 1, 2010.
Projects, Maintenance are Also Cut
In February, the Commonwealth Transportation Board enacted the first phase of the cost-cutting plan when it reduced the number of new highway projects that will be built. The revised six-year improvement program cut $2 billion in funding, delaying or eliminating 808 projects statewide.
The second phase involved staffing changes and organizational restructuring, including reductions in wage and temporary employees and full-time staff just announced.
The third phase focuses on reducing spending on VDOT’s programs and services, including:
* Reducing rest areas and welcome centers
* Reducing ferry services
* Reducing Safety Service Patrols
* Reducing interstate maintenance services
* Reducing vegetation management
In addition, money in the state’s adopted Six Year Improvement Program has also been cut. Loudoun County’s share stands at only $500,000, according to Jim Zeller of VDOT’s Leesburg Residency Office.
Full time staff members at VDOT are the next to be cut, 1250 of them, beginning next month, and that will cost taxpayers in the Commonwealth triple dollars in the future, to get the engineering work done, but money is not the issue. The idea is to look politically good as Governor, by making costly cuts to state staff, and leaving a disaster for the next Governor. Just wait and compare $$ in a couple of years!