Governors Seek Concessions from Public Workers.

[elleng]

Source: AP/NYT

"Governors across the nation are seeking significant concessions from public employee unions in hopes of helping to balance their teetering budgets during the economic downturn.

From Maryland to California, Ohio to Hawaii, governors have asked or ordered state workers to accept furloughs, salary reductions, truncated workweeks or benefit cuts. They say the concessions are a better alternative to further job losses in the face of record-breaking unemployment.">>>



Read more: http://nytimes.com/aponline/2009/01/24/us/AP-Governors-...

[madville]

1. It's going to get worse

Tax revenues will be down further next year, causing more of this.

The hospital my aunt is at just laid off 10% of staff and the rest got a 5% pay reduction.

[cyclezealot]

2. During tough times. we all have to give a bit

Besides, better than joining the unemployed. A unions response might be.. Does the public official call for cuts in a spirit of vengeance or shared misery. Many in private business favor sharing bad times for the benefit of all. Rather than see co-workers canned; it's better for all to give a bit. .....Since resources are so scarce. So, why not apply it to all.

[glowing]

3. It just sucks because many workers have been underemployed for a while.

Many cannot just button down and pull a bit from their savings. Many are living pay check to pay check as it is. By reducing pay, they are inevitably increasing the risk for more foreclosures or in the very least, less consumption.. which leads to more loss across the entire system. At somepoint people need to have money to live and consume. Or we need to scrap the entire system and re-think the idea of capitalism.

[HelenWheels]

4. Problem is

what gets taken away in bad times doesn't get returned in good times. I know, because I've been through it. Maybe if these govs hadn't been so quick in cutting back taxes they would have a little money in reserve. Hear that, Schwarzenegger?

[ebbie15644]

5. I'm going to be asked

to take concessions. I am a public employee. The problem I have with this whole thing is that this is my second contract, the first we didn't get a raise and started to pay health benefits. This contract the raises were put in the last 2 years of the contract, well, now old Ed Randell wants us to open our contract and give back those raises. I have my Master's Degree and earn less then 40,000. He has a hiring freeze and it does not apply to him. He just hired someone for "nature tourism" at almost 100,000 a year. I work everyday to help people with sever disabilities get jobs. We can't recruit Master's Degree people now for what he wants to pay. I would like to see cuts start with him not US!!!