Coalition of State Workers Unions Won’t Negotiate New Concessions But Will Continue Push for Solutions to the Economic Crisis

by Matt O'Connor on December 21st

Leaders of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) today affirmed they are ready and willing to meet with the Rell Administration to discuss real solutions to the continuing economic crisis.

At the same time, SEBAC emphasized that they will not be returning to the bargaining table to negotiate additional concessions. At the beginning of the year, SEBAC and its thousands of members were responsible for providing Connecticut taxpayers with nearly $1 billion in savings to preserve critical public services.

“Without the concessions already agreed to by state public service workers, our budget deficit would be even larger. We were the first, and one of the only groups to step up to the plate, roll up our sleeves and help in this crisis by providing significant cost reductions and savings,” said Rick Tanasi, President of the State Vocational Federation of Teachers, Local 4200A, AFT Connecticut.

Cuts in services and resources have made it more challenging for state and local government workers to meet the needs of Connecticut’s citizens during a deep recession. Continued cuts to public services will send Connecticut even deeper into an economic hole, with more layoffs and more people put in crisis.

Contrary to a press release issued today, the Rell Administration did not make any formal outreach to reopen discussions. Nevertheless, SEBAC will continue to press elected officials, including the governor and her representatives, to create a stable revenue system that requires everyone to pay their fair share.

“We can and will continue to push for real economic solutions to the fiscal crisis. These include pursuing federal stimulus dollars that remain available to help save local services and moving the Rell Administration to put some effort behind the Contracting Standards Board so we can stop wasteful outsourcing,” said CSEA/SEIU Local 2001 Executive Director Bob Rinker.

AFT Connecticut and CSEA are two of the thirteen unions in the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC), which serves to unite approximately 50,000 Connecticut State Employees to address issues of common concern. To learn more about the coalition’s campaign for a fair budget and a livable state with great public services visit www.InThisTogetherCT.org.

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 7:00 pm and is filed under Campaign News, Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Coalition of State Workers Unions Won’t Negotiate New Concessions But Will Continue Push for Solutions to the Economic Crisis”

  1. Patrick Stein Says:
    January 6th, 2010 at 12:44 am

    It is time to introduce the ERIP and let anyone 52 years of age with 25 years of state service to GO…………. We need to save money and reduce the size of state goverment…………..Governor Rell should have done this last year…………ERIP at 52 years old and save the State millions of dollars………………

  2. sheila chunis Says:
    January 8th, 2010 at 6:09 pm

    http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20100106/PERSONNEL03/1060302/1018/DEPARTMENTS

    stop furloughing federally funded state employees. SSA dedicated 580 million to increase processing of social security disability claims. VP Joe Biden wrote to every Governor asking this. Rell is one of only six governors not to comply. Every day we delay federal benefits to a claimant is keeping these people on state funded benefits and costing the taxpayer money.

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