LAS VEGAS -- Four hundred jobs could be lost if Clark County can't reach an agreement with it's largest union. Offices from the County Clerk, to planning, to social services face deep cuts.
It is a showdown between Clark County and the labor union and somebody's got to blink.
"If we give up any more, we're going to lose our houses. We can't do it anymore," said SEIU President Al Martinez.
Service cuts include building permits and assistance programs for children, the poor and seniors. Clark County is asking nearly all of its departments to cut nine percent to save $40 million.
The past three years, hiring and wage freezes have held off all but a limited number of layoffs.
"There is no way to balance this without wage concessions from our labor groups. It's impossible," said Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak. "The time has come to put the two groups, management and the labor folks, lock the door and nobody's leaving until we work something out."
Tense negotiations continue between the county's largest labor union and management. After eight months of negations, they are both at a stalemate. Commissioners talked of consolidating some services with neighboring cities and other cost-saving measures, but it may be too late.
A county savings fund set aside at the beginning of the recession to prevent layoffs is nearly broke.
Union leaders claim management is not facing as many deep cuts as the rank and file employees. But county figures show a management position vacancy rate nearly twice as high as other employees. The county claims this shows managers are sharing the pain.
