State employee labor representatives have reached a tentative agreement with Gov. Chet Culver’s office for the union’s members to take five furlough days through the end of the fiscal year and accept a freeze in state matches to their deferred compensation plan, in a move to save 479 public-safety positions from being cut.

The proposed understanding between the state and Iowa Council 61 of the American Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), if approved by a majority of the union’s local membership, will save the state approximately $26.4 million. That savings would enable the state to retain 479 positions that were targeted for layoffs under an across-the-board 10 percent budget reduction, according to a joint press release issued by Culver’s office and AFSCME/Iowa Council 61.

The positions that would be saved include front-line correctional officers, parole probation officers and other public-safety support positions. On Nov. 2 the governor’s office announced preliminary plans to lay off 792 state employees.

“I want to thank the leadership at AFSCME for joining with us to save these essential public service jobs,” Culver said in the release. “”This understanding will help preserve vital services for Iowans while meeting our obligation to balance the state budget. This is a positive step forward, and I encourage the membership to vote yes on this measure.

Under the proposal:

– Each of the approximately 20,000 state employees who are covered by the AFSCME Master Agreement will be required to take five mandatory unpaid days during the remaining seven months of fiscal year 2010, which ends June 30, 2010.

– The deferred compensation program for state employees will undergo temporary changes to suspend the state’s contribution through June 30, 2010. The employees’ contribution to the deferred compensation program will remain as currently allowed under the AFSCME Master Agreement.

The agreement also states that no AFSCME/Iowa Council 61 executive branch employees will be laid off between the date of the approval and June 30, if the AFSCME membership approves the agreement. Also, employees outside the bargaining units who are being laid off will not be permitted to displace employees who are in the bargaining units covered by the AFSCME Master Agreement through the end of the fiscal year.

The labor union expects voting on the proposal to begin no later than Nov. 19 and to conclude by Nov. 25.