NYC Axing 777 School Workers

New York City is slashing 777 Education Department jobs, sending school aides, family workers, parent coordinators, and drivers packing due to budget cuts, reports the New York Times. Teachers, however, are exempt from the biggest single-agency layoff since Michael Bloomberg became mayor in 2002, thanks to a deal brokered between their union and Bloomberg's administration in June,

A Bloomberg spokesman blamed the layoffs on unions that refused concessions, particularly District Council 37, which represents 95% of the workers losing their jobs. Some 1,940 teachers, meanwhile, are still without permanent placements for this fall and are drawing full salaries while in the "absent teacher reserve" pool. More than 400 teachers have been in the pool since last summer and 68 have been there since it was created in 2006. (More New York City stories.)