Short week for court workers?

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Officials of Yakima County courts told county commissioners they may constitutionally shorten the work week of court employees as long as the doors open five days a week.

Harold Delia, administrative consultant to District and Superior Courts, told commissioners Tuesday that Yakima County's courts must open five days a week, according to the state constitution.

He said commissioners may otherwise shave employees' hours, as they've proposed. However, that would have to be negotiated with the labor unions that represent affected employees.

Commissioners have suggested making up for a $500,000 budget shortfall by reducing county employee work hours from 40 to 36, and perhaps switching to a four-day work week.

However, such a switch in the courts would go against the state constitution, Delia said.

"Nobody can close the courts," he said.

However, Delia said the courts may, constitutionally, close at noon on Friday to reduce hours or stagger employees to stay open throughout all five days.

If a jury trial is still going, the court would like to extend the day to accommodate it, Delia told commissioners.

Meanwhile, the county's eight Superior Court judges and four District Court judges must work 40 hours per week because their salaries are set by the state, Delia said.

The county court system has 142 employees overall.

Reducing hours would save a total of $930,000 per year, said Commissioner Mike Leita. However, the county would not implement it until July 1.

That gives them until June to make a final decision, Leita said. By then, revenue may improve, leaving the commissioners with less of a shortfall.

Union leaders told the Herald-Republic earlier this month they will discuss the work hours decrease starting in January. It may be better than losing jobs, said Yvette Lewis, staff representative for Council 2 of the Washington State Council of County and City Employees in Yakima.

"If that means jobs are saved, then that is something we will look at," said.

The council represents about 250 of the county's employees, most of whom work in the courthouse.

The only other option to reducing hours is to eliminate another 10 to 15 jobs, Leita said.

Earlier in the fall, the commissioners agreed to lay off 26 employees.

"We're not doing this because we want to, we're doing this because we have to be responsible," he said.

The idea of hours reduction came on the heels of the commissioners approving a 2.5 percent pay increase for the county's six elected officials, the same amount commissioners will receive automatically next year. Leita and Rand Elliott voted for the move while Kevin Bouchey voted against it.

* Ross Courtney can be reached at 509-930-8798 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.