Staffers protest mandatory furloughs at Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk

About a dozen psychiatric technicians at Norwalk's Metropolitan State Hospital protested state-imposed furloughs during their lunch break today. Staffers said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to close California's budget gap by forcing state employees to take off three days a month doesn't work at this residential hospital.

Some 700 mentally ill patients receive treatment at Metropolitan Sate Hospital. Caregivers say they work those so-called 'furlough' days anyway — without pay.

The psychiatric technicians wore red T-shirts and snacked on pizza while waving picket signs that said, "Three furlough days are three too many."

Eric Soto has worked at the 162-acre medical facility 11 years. His mother worked there before that. He says Sacramento's plan might work at other government agencies, but it isn’t realistic at this residential hospital.

“For instance, an office like the DMV, they can close. They just don’t open the doors," said Soto. "You know, the thing is, here, we’re providing care for people. So, regardless we have to show up to work. We have to provide that care. So, we’re not able to get those days off. Essentially we’re working and we’re not getting paid a dime.”

Metropolitan State Hospital has a court-ordered minimum ratio of eight patients to one staffer per floor. Employees say they’ve collected furlough days on paper and worked without pay to cover shifts.

Psychiatric technicians say they work several overtime shifts a month, because the facility is short staffed. State lawmakers imposed a hiring freeze last year as another component to help get California's finances out the red.

"It’s hurting the quality of care for the patients that we’re taking care of,” said Nick Sonteya as he gave a good squeeze to his hand-held fog horn. Several drivers responded by honking their cars' horns.

That strengthened these psychiatric technicians's resolve to fight. They say they want a day's pay for a day's work. Eric Soto said it’s not easy to work with patients there.

"You’re dealing with a population, for instance, that might be experiencing hallucinations, or what not, or delusions, paranoid, or what not," says Soto. "They might very fearful of even taking medicine.  They might think their doctor is trying to poison them.”