Union agrees to present deal to members

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The largest state employees union in Rhode Island decided Friday to let its workers vote on tentative deal that would result in lost pay but protect them from losing their jobs, a decision that could end an impasse with Gov. Don Carcieri, union officials said.

An agreement with Council 94 was critical to Carcieri’s cost-cutting plan to help close a $68 million budget shortfall since it’s the largest union and others in state government tend to follow its lead. On Wednesday, leaders of Council 94 rejected an initial deal with Carcieri in the hopes they could negotiate something better.

“The governor said there’s two chances of that happening: slim to none,“ Council 94 President J. Michael Downey said, explaining why the union reversed course.

After suffering a rejection Wednesday, Carcieri announced he was done negotiating and would lay off workers in any union that did not ratify the agreement by Oct. 2. Carcieri sent his executive director of human resources, Stephen Johnston, to answer questions Friday from union leaders during a closed-door meeting.

“I am pleased that the presidents of Council 94 have made the decision to allow their members a chance to vote on this agreement,“ Carcieri said in a written statement. “It is my goal to keep people working, and this agreement will give state employees job security.“

Last month, Carcieri ordered a shutdown of state government for a dozen days to help close a looming budget deficit brought on by one of the state’s worst recessions in decades.

A collection of 10 state employee unions sued to block the shutdown plan. When the state Supreme Court temporarily halted Carcieri from implementing the shutdown, the governor said the ruling left him no other option but to lay off 1,000 state workers.

After negotiations, union leaders reached a deal that would require workers to lose 12 days of pay in the next two years and delay a scheduled 3 percent pay raise. They would receive extra vacation time and could reclaim some of that lost pay when they retire or leave their state jobs.

In return, Carcieri would promise not to shut down state government and would abandon his layoff plan.

But the deal threatened to fall apart after Carcieri sought the ability to reassign workers to different jobs and offices, a proposal that prompted Council 94 to balk at the voting on the agreement Wednesday.

Carcieri has said that he needs the flexibility to reorganize and consolidate state government as a dismal economy drives down the state’s tax income. Union leaders fear that workers could be subject to random job transfers and suffer a loss in job security.

Two other unions have already ratified the deal, while Council 94 and six additional unions are planning to vote on it.