In This Together CT

“State pension plans are going broke, and only Wall Street can save us!” That’s the plain language translation of the recent projection by Northwestern University Assistant Professor Joshua D. Rauh. The plain language translation of an analysis of his paper commissioned by the National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA) and outside experts: “Your facts are wrong, your assumptions are invalid, and your recommendations are unhelpful. Other than that, great report.” (more…)

Leaders of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) praised the passage of “An Act Concerning The Purchasing Of Prescription Drugs By Nonstate Public Employers,” which allows municipalities and school districts to participate in the State prescription drug plan. With the Governor’s signature of the bill yesterday, bulk purchases of the plan will mean significant reductions in the overall cost of life-saving medications. (more…)

Rell Administration representatives abruptly left a planned meeting with leaders of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) this evening to discuss the governor’s latest Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP). Union leaders noted that the governor’s plan could cost taxpayers over $1 billion dollars while decimating state services, and pressed for responses to cost savings proposals they made in January that would have improved services and saved more money than is estimated through the ERIP. (more…)

Leaders and members of the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) are reacting to passage of the General Assembly’s 2010 budget deficit mitigation package. Both the House and Senate passed the package this week and the governor signed the bill yesterday. The plan relied largely on an additional $100 million in savings from the coalition’s 2009 agreement, which is now expected to provide nearly $1 billion towards the previous and current biennium, as well as an additional $60 million in federal reimbursements from the stimulus package. (more…)

Leaders and members of the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) were at the Capitol today for the governor’s budget address as Connecticut begins its 2010 legislative session. Governor Rell addressed the General Assembly to deliver her proposals for closing the budget deficit. While her proposals avoided additional devastating spending cuts which have already cost our state nearly 50,000 jobs, they did little to address the underlying problems facing Connecticut. (more…)

Leaders of the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) met with representatives from Governor M. Jodi Rell’s Administration today to once again offer assistance with the growing budget deficit. In response, her representatives agreed to continue meeting in order to identify creative programs and policies that could increase government efficiency, save taxpayer dollars, and help rebuild Connecticut’s economy. (more…)

Members and leaders of unions in the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) are reacting to Governor M. Jodi Rell’s lukewarm response to questions on her Administration’s improvements to the unemployment claims filing system. Residents have experienced extremely long waits at call centers and the Department of Labor’s (DOL) online filing system has not been able to handle the increased volume of electronic claimants. Cutbacks by the Rell Administration have resulted in fewer call center staff and less resources to cope with the nearly 160,000 unemployed workers in Connecticut. (more…)

Leaders and members of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) criticized Governor M. Jodi Rell today for her lack of action in bringing the Connecticut Contracting Standards Board to its full membership. The governor has failed to make all of her appointments to the Board, holding up its members’ ability to meet and carry out their statutorily mandated mission to ensure open and transparent contracting processes, which would save taxpayer dollars and improve delivery of public services. (more…)

Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed both of the legislature’s deficit bills yesterday, calling them “feeble” attempts to solve the state’s budget shortfall. She called instead for lawmakers to grant her the authority to make additional cuts to vital services, between 10% and 15% of any appropriation if the deficit is between 3% and 5%, while at the same time refusing to agree to any new revenue generation.

Giving the governor more power to make harmful cuts to public services when people are struggling in a down economy would be unconscionable. (more…)

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. (more…)