Dayton City Manager Rashad Young has distributed a letter offering buyouts- or “Voluntary Separation Plans (VSP) to regular full and part-time employees who are currently members of the Ohio Public Employment System (OPERS).

They have until 5pm on Oct 31, 2008 and they must be gone by Dec 31. The package won’t be distributed to DPSU members until their Union agreement has been finalized. The lump sum payout is equal to 25% of the first $50K of their base sallary and an additional 5% of the portion of the base salary that exceeds $50K. Full time hourly employees calculate their base by their hourly times 2080 hours, part time, by 1820. You must have worked at least a year for the city- or it’s based on the actual numbers of hours worked.

Once you take the VSP- you can’t come back to your position or any previously held position. You will get your nomal unused vacation pay and a sick leave payout.

This package would only be attractive to someone who was planning on leaving- or someone who is already eligible for starting their retirement package. It stops so called “double dipping” as long as you aren’t applying for a job you already have done.

When GM workers were given a buyout, they were given enough money to start a business, or invest in education. This plan- well, you can probably pay for the move out of Dayton if you can sell your house.

Good luck, Dayton. You’ll need it, if this is the best incentive you can come up with to cut your payroll.

4pm: NOTE: an “Urgent Message” was sent out via e-mail: This Program is not offered to DPSU employees- so don’t discuss it with DPSU Bargaining Unit employees…

Uh, huh? Yeah, right… this is how we run open honest negotiations?