Council 94 to vote on contract
Published: September 28, 2009
Updated: September 28, 2009
PROVIDENCE—The largest state employees union in Rhode Island starts voting on a deal that could cut pay but avoid widespread layoffs.
The local unions that make up Council 94 are scheduled to vote this week on an agreement reached recently with Gov. Don Carcieri.
Council 94 President J. Michael Downey said the union will tally the votes on Oct. 6.
The two-year agreement is part of Carcieri’s plan to help close a $68 million budget shortfall. It would require workers to lose 12 days of pay and delay a scheduled 3 percent pay raise.
In return, Carcieri would promise not to lay off state workers to save money. He would also have the authority to reassign state workers to different jobs.
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Reader Reactions
As a State employee who was a victim of the Governor’s initial round of layoffs in Nov ‘07, I agree with NayNay in that what is being proposed is not fair/across the board. This proposal is ONLY to State employees under the Governor’s control, ie the Executive branch. Because of the separation of powers law we passed a few years back, the Governor has no control over the employees under the Judiciary & Legislative branches, unless those employees are a member of the Unions that also fall under the Executive branch. So while the clerks have to take the “pay reduction” but the judges don’t! Furthermore, departments (corrections, etc) that don’t have active contracts aren’t participating in the reduction. If it was across the board, it would be so hard to take. I am someone who was rehired (took a paycut to be rehired) after 6 month layoff, since then the mandatory OT (which made of the difference of the paycut) has been cut, I’m paying more for health insurance, had raises delayed - until my recent raise, I was bringing home less than I was when I was sitting at home collecting! I ask who among you would be all warm & fuzzy inside about going to work for 10 days, but only get paid for 9, for the next 8 months, only to do it all over again next fiscal? All the State workers are asking is for the responsibility to be shared. As a State employee, I personally do not engage in overspending so why should I have to pay for it?
NayNay - You keep hopping on the citizens not giving anything. Have you talked to any yet? Has you house been forclosed on? Have you lost your job? If you reject this offer, you can bet that your taxes will go up. Your leaders do not look at the larger picture. So go ahead and vote no and I hope that a few of those 1,000 state workers that get laid off let you know what they think of you.
We have already taken pay cuts we have given up raises the state is constantly attacking the state workers!! Why not have the rest of the citizens of Rhode Island pitch in or how about the damn govenor pays for health care or the state police? The govenor is constantly attacking us and we are constantly taking the fall.
The alternative that the Governor is threatening as opposed to the recent proposal offered is a whole lot worse for the members of Council 94.
Look…..What has to happen to the state of Rhode Island for the unions to see there just is no money left? Look what almost happened to California they almost became insolvent…The condition of being insolvent …. is the state or condition of a person who is unable to pay his debts as they fall due, and as in the usual course of trade and business.
I know there are a lot of people upset and angry because of gross miss-management of the state’s finances leaving us all with this 68-million dollar debt. My hope is that before these good working people are let go, I hope the state did its do diligence and looked at all the unnecessary programs it supports costing us millions.
Naynay245—You pay taxes, you pay for health care, etc. Agreed. Now you’re being asked to forgo a little pay while everyone else has to forgo the same OR MORE.
Tell me, what isn’t fair about that? Seems to me you ought to follow your own advice—learn your facts!
It seems to me people dont realize how many cuts us state workers have already taken. Everytime theres a money issue with the state we are the ones to take the burden. Learn your facts we pay for health care just as much as everyone else we pay taxes we pay for everything just as a private sector does….. learn your facts before you talk smack!
Lisa – I take it that you have been in your position long enough to not have to worry about being laid off. Matter of fact, you may be able to bump someone that has a better job than you do, or maybe even better pay! There’s a perk. And yes, the Gov. is treating the state like a company. A company that wants to keep its employees. In business, a company that does not rein in its costs rather than increase it’s product cost to its customers, is doomed to fail. I have friends that are taking a 20% cut in pay and others that are working fewer hours per week. Why should your precious union be any different. And what are you paying for healthcare? I pay 30%.
Statewkr—Sorry for misunderstanding you. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what is sarcasm on these comment columns.
Smitty - I was thanking the people who VOTE NO sarcasticly(sp). My bad if taken the wrong way. It was correct in my head.
I am voting Yes to the governor. I want to give in, I am one of the last 1000 hired and one that worked hard trying to get back from being unemployed.
I DON’T want to lose my job or healthcare.
I was thanking the people who VOTE NO sarcasticly(sp).
I can understand you’re reluctance, but I will just say this—the deficit is not going to be closed by people who won’t try to help. Private firm workers have already taken pay cuts and concessions from their employers.
I guess you’re saying the state workers aren’t supposed to, amd the people who work for private concerns are supposed to pay more in taxes to keep the state workers from having to contribute? In other words they’ll have to pay TWICE—once for themselves, AND ONCE FOR YOU???
It is supposed to work both ways, but you state workers don’t want it to—you want YOUR way untouched.
Statewkr—I guess you rather lose your job AND you’re healthcare instead of just a little income—because that is what will happen. No deal equals layoffs, and with you working less than one year, you’ll be one of the first to go.
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