Two Candidates For Governor Say State Employees Need To Give More Concessions To Balance State Budget
http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/01/two-candidates-for-governor-sa.html
By Christopher Keating
January 20, 2010 3:34 PM
Two candidates for governor said Wednesday that state employee unions should be asked for more givebacks in order to balance the state budget.
Gary LeBeau, a Democratic state senator from East Hartford who voted in favor of the budget last year, said, “There are going to have to be cuts in state employee numbers unless we can get concessions.”
LeBeau, who acknowledged that state employees “do a great job,” called last year’s bargaining by the administration of Gov. M. Jodi Rell “somewhat of a joke” in terms of how much was requested from the employee unions and what concessions were finally received.
“I think we need to bargain harder,” he said.
Lt. Gov Michael Fedele, a Republican, essentially agreed with LeBeau, saying, “We cannot continue on the path we are going with our state employees.” He added that the state must continue to work “as a partnership” with the unions.
Catherine Osten, the union president of the Connecticut State Employees Association, SEIU Local 2001, attended Wednesday’s forum because she also serves as the first selectman of the small town of Sprague in New London County. She said that without the savings from the unions, both the state and towns “would be in even worse shape” than they are currently.
“State workers were one of the first groups to contribute in such a meaningful way toward solving our deficit problem,” Osten said. “Now that these candidates are running for governor, they should be offering real solutions, not looking for scapegoats.”
Matt O’Connor, a spokesman for CSEA/SEIU Local 2001, wrote in a blog post on the union’s web site that no “serious candidate for governor” would believe that about $700 million in savings over three years is “a joke.”
Copyright © 2010, The Hartford Courant
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