Camden workers protest proposed layoffs

Camden city employees wore black yesterday in a show of solidarity and protest as they await an announcement about who will be laid off in city government.

A "death notice" was distributed to mourn the "passing of city government in Camden," employees held a prayer circle during lunch, and black ribbons were distributed by the union.

Between 40 and 60 workers, none of them police officers or firefighters, will be laid off any day now to help close a $24 million budget shortfall, city officials have said.

"The cutbacks in employees mean cutbacks in already inadequate services," said Karl R. Walko, president of Camden County Council 10, which represents about 480 nonuniformed municipal workers.

"The black ribbons were for the death of effective services in the city, and the state giving up on the recovery of Camden."

A 2002 state law allocated $175 million in bond financing to Camden while stripping away much of the city's political power. Most government decisions now rest with a governor-appointed chief operating officer, Theodore Z. Davis, who is handling the decisions about the cuts.

Davis' chief of staff, Brett Waters, said there were no updates yesterday about who will be laid off.

Under the 2002 law, universities and hospitals were awarded much of the recovery money, and Walko argues that residents and the city government did not benefit. Camden remains one of the poorest municipalities in the nation.

Walko said the fear in City Hall is magnified this week because there are indications that Davis will not abide by civil-service regulations that protect workers when layoffs are made.

"Everybody is on edge," said Walko, who vowed a legal fight if the city violates the regulations. "Everybody."

Council President Angel Fuentes, who was not involved in the decision to lay off workers, said it is a difficult time.

"This is a city of 80,000, and you have leadership you depend on to bring in all these businesses" that produce tax revenue, he said. Layoffs "should have been avoided, and not waited until the $24 million shortfall."