Malloy: Layoffs will be 'large scale' and quick

Tell the truth to the citizens of CT. Tell them the specifics of all that you are asking from us to give up! Stop trying to make US look like the bad guys! Tell them how you are manipulating little by little to get us to become part of the worst healthcare offered to Americans! Tell them how you mismanaged and SPENT our pension money! Tell them how you are in bed with our union reps! If layoffs take place it is NOT our falt! It is the upper class/rich/corrupt politicians! You are all so corrupt!!!!

I voted yes.

When I walk into work I will be able to hold my head up high and look at those co-workers of mine about to be laid off in the eye and say I tried as hard as I could to persuade people to vote yes.

The "No" voters who were high fiveing each other will now have to face their (soon to be laid off) co-workers and look them in the eye.

What will those "no" voters they say to them?

My guess is....not much.

To DOC235, there are only 750 or less Tier 1's so don't blame them. Try older tier 2's to put the blame. Maybe the union leaders who ran this campaign with hiding all the information.

malloy gets elected, demands 2 billion in concessions from employees, claims the state is broke. Malloy quickly passes budget with 2 billion in new and not needing spending. If you are broke why would you spend 2 billion? now he threatens the state employees again saying we are broke. Any body with common sense would honor contracts they have before they engage in new spending.

To letter editor, just because 90% if you were fooled by the scare tactics, and b/s pos agreement, you will look back and THANK US down the road, I guarantee it!

Helen please don't overlook the rest of the story about New York. In the middle to end of last year the public service employees in NY State ( including municipal, county , etc. who are part of the state system there ) were given the opportunity to take an ERIP. At least the NY legislature recognized the value of and obligation to the long term public employees who started their service under a set of terms that held true during their careers.

REVOTE ANYONE HEARD YET i heard we may have to do a revote maybe on just the contract part. Seems there are more ballots than names checked off. In the super bowl you do not like the outcome do you replay the game. These are the results accept it YOU LOST!!! The lies and threats did not work did they. I heard they want to explain it better then vote again. I think we got it loud and clear the first time. THAT IS WHY WE VOTED NO.

I would happily re-vote the contract portion. Would have been nice if my union allowed a "split" vote.

Dear Mark Pazniokas,

I need to thank you for bringing forth the best coverage of this entire Sebac/Malloy situation from day one. Your reporting has been swift, accurate and crystal clear. I just wanted to tip my hat to you sir for all the long hours and hard work you have put into your work. You sir are the best.

Regards,
Helen

SteveHC....are we playing WHEEL OF FORTUNE? If so, is there an "H"?

Let's see if he can get the number up to 10k, just to stick it to SECRAP and out of Touch Union Leaders who concocted this POS agreement in the first place.

I'd like to buy a vowel please.

Union should organize and march on Hartford. we would not have allowed Rowland or Rell to do this. Stop with the scab mentality. We should trat malloy like we did rowland and follow him with bullhorns.Do you only protest republicans? i am beginning to think your are more loyal to democrats then you are to the union. stop the sniveling and lets confront this bully!

To Helen: I take it that you have never heard of the electoral college. Several times in the past the candidate for President receiving the most votes in the popular election has not won the election. Al Gore won the popular vote, but lost the election to George Bush. It's the same principle here.
Your argument that the union vote is not "democratic" doesn't hold water. Like our federal and state governments the unions operate more like a republic. Our representatives will cast the final vote according to rules agreed to long ago.
Helen, the Governor and our union representatives are the real cause of the failure of the proposed "deal." We were lied to from the beginning, either by comission or omission, by both. We have been bullied, threatened and subject to political abuse by both the Governor and our union representatives. This "deal" is about forging a universal health care plan in Connecticut, with government workers paying for it. What I can't believe is that there are so many foolish people who actually voted in favor.
Helen, you should really give it some thought, maybe then you will realize what the Governor and our union representatives are really up to.

Breaking News!

Malloy’s chief negotiator wants union concessions salvaged.

Mark Ojakian, Governor Dannel Malloy’s lead negotiator with the state unions, is witnessing with the rest of the state his months of work go down the drain.

It appears more than likely the $1.6 billion concessions package Ojakian hammered out with labor is going to be rejected. Leaders of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition are not scheduled to release the final results until Monday.

“I’m the kind of person who always remains hopeful because it’s not over until it’s over,” Ojakian told me a little while ago. “That being said, I think at this point we need to be prepared to proceed down another path … There’s very troubling signs.”

Malloy has threatened to layoff around 7,000 layoffs if the concessions are rejected.

Word began circulating yesterday about the possibility SEBAC leaders would work to try and stage a second vote, possibly making the case the deal received substantial popular support among members and that opponents were swayed by a conservative misinformation campaign.

Ojakian said it has been very frustrating to witness what he believes was a very fair, well-crafted deal twisted around.

“I’m hoping that it is something able to be somehow rescued,” he said.

Would Ojakian personally like to see another round of voting?

“I would like to see anything done that’s possible and comports with the SEBAC bylaws to ratify this agreement,” he said. “If that means revotes, absolutely … As somebody that spent day after day and night after night doing this and who was part of a team that came up with an agreement I believed was fair to everybody, to see it not ratified … I would like to see anything done that would prevent that from happening.”

In the meantime the Malloy administration is preparing for job cuts.

Ojakian, a long-time assistant comptroller, recalled having to send out pink slips during his time in that position.

“It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life,” he said. “That was 16 individuals.”

OK everybody has made his or her point. It is time to solve the real fiscal crisis of the state. The relatively new state work force would like to keep their jobs, because they have to pay mortgages and families to feed; and they are too proud to join the other generational free loaders, and go on food stamps and other known and unknown entitlements. However, LIFO requires that the state should lay them off first. The Tier-I workers, on the other hand, do not need their jobs as much as the relatively young workers do. So, how do you combine the two and two and achieve the best results? The solution is ERIP as they did it in New York state (and as it happens very frequently in private sector). Contrary to bad mouthing such an option by unionistas (because with loss of members, unions also lose the union dues revenue) ERIP will increase the pension payouts by just 7-8% only. Translated into dollars (10,000 ERIP geekers @ $30,000 annual pension times 8%), this may be about $24,000,000 per year for the next 10 to 12 years or the present value of this scheme may be about much less than the present value of the unemployment and welfare benefits to be paid to 10,000 laid off workers for a short 3-year period (10,000 workers @ $50,000 -- including all other entitlements -- per year for 3 years). Take your calculators and do the math. The ERIP plan will create less turmoil in the working class. N.Y. Governor is no fool in following this path. Otherwise, with the unemployment rate in Ct. peaking at 9.5-10.0% (don't forget the multiplier domino effect as well) we will face another middle east in this land. Mubarak is history and is facing jail time for life and the Tunisian ex-president is already in jail for life.

Helen how many times do we have to vote so you can save your sorry face? 2, 5, 10. When people say no they mean no so what is it with you?

Malloy has stated emphatically on many, many occasions that an ERIP is absolutely not going to happen on his watch.

Time to deal with that fact.

To Bob in glastonbury-your a tier 1 employee right? Your the reason why the state is going bankrupt because of the lucrative pensions that the state gave to you and the unions did nothing to make u concede some of your benefits in these concession packages. Get a grip, you left the state in 09 because you prolly knew what was coming and you preserved your benefits.Sends me a thank you note in the mail because I am know uplifting your retiree healthcare with 3 percent of my salary.

first sign of malloy folding is ojakian, at least that is what lockhart reports. Malloy painted himself into the corner, we need to not laugh at him and pretend he didn't say these things before. give him a little breathing room. One little hint tthough, if this health care change is still in the new package, don;t bother.

Malloy backed himself into a corner (not the unions). A little arrogant I think. Now the legislature has to step in, fill the void, and provide necessary leadership in the interest of the entire state. That's why we put them there. Its is their time to lead.

Although a lot of mud can be thrown around, it is unproductive to vilify the unions, its leaders, the administration, legislature or anyone else for that matter. Stop pointing fingers and stand up and lead. We need you.

The legislative leadership should demand a revamped concession package be developed (wage,furloughs,co pays, ERIP) to mitigate the impact of layoffs. Leave pension and healthcare alone and it will pass easily. Look at NY's model. Some downsizing may have to take place but it should be targeted and thoughtful, not politically motivated.

We need to put politics aside and do the mature thing. The States future depends on it.

“I gave him extensive marching orders” Don’t you just love it!

Go ahead, put another 7k or 10k on unemployment by the end of the summer. What a nice guy, but oh wait, that’s right, it’s not your fault!!!

Young families with little children and mortgages just starting out their careers. That’ll really help the economy, won’t it?? Oh yeah, but wait, it’s not your fault!!!

It wasn’t about “shared sacrifice” all along now was it? If it was, the municipal workers would have “shared the sacrifice” with the State Workers. The Millionaires would have felt the “shared sacrifice” as much as the working families will with increased taxes across the board.

Looks like the “Win By The Skin Of His Teeth” Dan missed out on a good opportunity here, which would have helped everyone. Just don’t be a fool like Rowland and layoff thousands only to enact an ERIP shortly afterwards. This screws with twice as many lives as would be needed.

Guess you only wanted to be a 1 and DONE Governor all along…...Don’t worry, we’ll all remember that it WAS your fault!!!

This may shock the no voters but what sebac is considering and meeting on as we speak; if the 15 unions votes are certified by sebac the rules of sebac stand 2 unions or 80% of unions. If the 15 unions presidents get together and ammend the sebac bylaws before the vote is certified, then the outcome will not matter of afscme. This is happening as i sit here. There is a good chance tomorrow after the press goes home that the union will annouce this change. certify the vote on their new bylaw and sign the deal. This is no longer a union but a socialist dprogressive arm of the democrat party. Members rights are not even considered for their agenda.

To helenisannoying - There's no point in repeating my earlier posts as you wouldn't get it anyhow but I will repeat one thing I said earlier - I can certainly understand why folks would vote no on this agreement. I can find a thousand reasons for voting no and really only one for voting yes - and that is that there is a time to be pragmatic about things and the time is now..this is not the time to turn support for labor against you as it will only hurt you in the long run..I previously explained why. And, btw, I certainly left the state in '09 knowing full well what was going to happen next..none of this should have been a suprise to anyone..the writing has been on the wall for some time..as for tier 1 bankrupting the system - the pension fund is in pretty bad straits right now as we all know and it never would have if not for stupid, short-sighted actions of previous administrations. Having said that, at least Governor Malloy had the presence of mind to take steps with his budget as well as with the SEBAC agreement to begin to make whole the pension fund so that by the time tier 2 and tier 3, probably tier 4s and 5s retire, there will be money available for them. Otherside, helenisannoying, it will be necessary for those still working when you retire to kick in for your pension as well......I honestly don't think i am wrong with what I can see coming and I do hope that we can all be pleasantly suprised to find this whole thing works itself out. I do have lots of close friends (yes and no votes) still working for the State.

You know what, that doesn't suprise me if SECRAP is considering changing the rules in the middle of the game. After all, look what they attempted to do to the Retirement and Healthcare plans!!!!!

This obviously MUST be some king of violation I'm sure. There's NO WAY that this could come to pass if in fact they are now trying to change the rules in the middle of the game.

Does Duty of FAIR representation come to mind??? After all, if they change the by-laws in the middle of a vote, doesn't sound to me like they're representing their members fairly.

A re-vote? You are absolutely dillusional and so is anyone else who thinks that such a thing can happen. It will be political suicide for AFSCME and any other SEBAC component who even attempts to popose it.

In the SEBAC by-laws, the member units must have at least 30 days written notice prior to the meeting proposing changes to the by-laws. They can't just meet and change the by-laws (see #9)

http://inthistogetherct.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/SEBAC-1096-BYLAWS...

Thanks for Douglaswill23 I printed that thanks.

500 MILLION, or even 100 MILLION could have been given back in recessions, in addition to what we gave back last time, to help the current budget crisis. Then some reasonable cuts - needed cuts - could be made and we would have a balanced budget. I bet that would be a yes vote. State employees do care, and have voted yes before - as we did two years ago. But that was not enough for this DEMOCRATIC govenor. Mr. Malloy had to go for the pot of gold from the working middle class - using us as a pawn to get his agenda accomplished. Maybe by design...... Obviuosly, unless scared to death by all of the threats and manipulation, anyone with a right mind would reject this bull. But the tactics did not work, the deal fails, and now many workers and citizens needing services will lose. The greed of the rich politicians will crush this State and country eventually. HELEN, by the way, I appreciate your willingness to help others but you lack the courage to stand up for your rights. Possibly you are a youngest sibbling or something, used to being last in line? Take a look at what you will be paying for as we increase the budget by more that the amount of consessions sought. With the coming layoffs, or if the consessions went through, next time around we will still be in a deficit. How many govenors have solved this problem but for some reason its never fixed? Every budget we start here, every budget has failed. The citizens of CT should be asking questions on a higher level - not bashing their fellow working citezens. Last several governors -poor job performance if you ask me. Sometimes its hard to make the RIGHT choice and not one of self interest. I voted NO.

Its simple math you cannot spend more than you take in that is the problem they are spending like drunken sailors with no end in sight. WE ARE BROKE but malloys budget is more than rell's that is insane he cut nothing. HE IS SPENDING MORE. raising taxes now is crazy some people can barely afford to live here and will have to pay more. Seems most do not realize come August our taxes go way up. Biggest tax increse in Conn. history Malloy is nothing but a tax and spend liberal. We were willing to do givebacks pay more for insurance, furlough days but this is just too much. And in 2 yrs we will be back giving more, more, more these contracts are not worth the paper they are written on we opened SEBAC in 2009 and we open it again i asked why as it does not expire till 2017 i was told the economny will be worse. I will take my chances. THE SPENDING HAS TO STOP. the entitlements have to stop you are entitled to get a job and pay your own way. Taxpayers are sick of it.

I challenge Dan Malloy right here and now and explain to any person and their family that gets laid off to explain why we needed cars for Metro North for $1 billion dollars

explain to a laidoff person in his family, why he wanted to spend $900 million on a nine mile road!

explain to a laidoff person and their family why we commiteed to spend $800 million on Uconn Health center...

Explain that Mr. Governor when you go to Bed in you Governor's Mansion!
and Why did we have to do all that in the first six months of our term, why you could not spread, after all you were elected (supposedly) for a four year term, so you could not put off one of those projects for the next fiscal year....

The Blame lays on one Person, Governor Dan Malloy, he is the Governor, we didn't have these problems when Jodi Rell was in office
so I challange you Mr. Malloy to explain those FACTS to and/or The families and the fear you instill with your bully tactics, of 2,500 layoffs, then 5,000 layoffs then 7,500 layoffs and now 10,000 layoffs to some people who even voted for you...be a man while you sleep every night in a Governors mansion!

As a longterm member of the private workforce (41 yrs), I was initially encouraged by Gov Malloy's shared sacrifice pledge. However as details of the deal came out, it was mostly smoke. The 2.0b became 1.6b and upon release of the details, much of that is not concessions nor actual savings:

Provisions: 2 yr "Savings" My explanation

Suggestion Box (pixie dust) 180m
Technology miracles 90m
Assume 1000 retirees 130m (only valid if permanent workforce reduction)
Generic Drugs 13m (result of patent lapses)
Health cost containments 75m (magic wand savings)
Value Based Health 205m It won't save money in 1st 2 years
Hard Wage Freeze (310-139) 171m Current contract expires 6/11. There is no reason to presume that the Unions would have gotten a 3% increase in the 1st year of a new contract. Presuming that we saved the 3% is like saying that 3% increases are guaranteed before negotiations.

In my opinion 864m of the 1.6b is not actual savings nor are they concessions and violate the spirit of Malloy's principal.

From my point of view as a private taxpayer, I would prefer that the current contracts remain in place till expiration in June 2012. The 1.6b should be accomplished with true cuts or savings. Our governor (chief taxpayer negotiator) will be much better position to bargin at that time and hopefully fix our systemic spending problems.

The 1,150-member Connecticut State University faculty approved the deal by 90 percent to 10 percent as 1,054 voted in favor and 114 voted against. The union covers both full-time and part-time faculty members, including coaches, librarians, and counselors, at the four universities in the state system. In addition, the 550-member University of Connecticut Health Center faculty also voted 90 percent to 10 percent with 283 in favor and 33 against.

The 3,300-member Administrative and Residual Union, known as A & R, voted in favor of the agreement by 64 percent to 36 percent with 1,640 in favor and 932 against. A & R represents a wide variety of workers, including accountants, attorneys, bank examiners, tax collectors, and elevator inspectors, among others.

Helen are you a state employee or retired state employee.I'll guess retired.Because you seem to have all day to post comments on this site and every other site in ct.Taxpayers dollers at work.PRICELESS!!Maybee someone should check your state computer history.

I have had a few days off. Holidays I had on the books. I'll be working this weekend though.

I am a 31 year State employee. Tier 1.

Helen.........You are becoming insulting. I'll put my degrees up against yours.

The predictions by Bumper above (posted at 4:10 today) sound intelligent, balanced, and realistic.

It would be wonderful if that scenario could happen.

Right now things are too chaotic and angry and anxiety-producing for almost everyone in the entire state.

I'm just saying. The professors and lawyers voted for the deal overwhelmingly. Mark Davis just had an interview with a corrections officer on WTNH and I'm sorry to tell you but the man was obviously uneducated. I don't think there are to many members of the Mensa society that work for the DOC.

No offense intended. Just giving my opinion.

If I was a professor or lawyer working for the state I would vote yes to because I would be so overpaid I would have plenty to give.This deal kills the lower paid employees.Don't you finally GET THE PICTURE!!

Let me give you a scenario. your boss comes to you and tells you business is bad and he'll be asking everyone to take a pay cut and crappy healthcfare. The next day he drives up in a new ferarri, are you gonna say "sweet ride boss" or are you gonna say "I thought we were f---ing broke!). Thats exactly what Malloy did, he asked for concessions and the next day announces a 900 million uconn project, a busway that noone will use and a tax credit for low income earners. All on the backs of tax payers and state workers! are you joking, how stupid do you think we are? All the people trashing state employees and all you no voters should be thanking us for voting this POS down. Malloy is a bully and an ass!

According to helen everyone who voted no is stupid. Yes not giving back our benefits having to go back in 2 yrs and give more back IS SURE STUPID. Yes Helen is annoying.

Vic don't forget the in state tuition for illegals!!! All liberal programs you mentioned. Spend, spend spend.

Jeepman,

You said, "We would not have 1/2 of what we have today if it was'nt for the unions fighting for us."

If you think the POS agreement SECRAP negotiated for us can be considered them fighting for us, you're in the same class as Helen is.

The 80% rule is there for a reason. The Pension and Healthcare are our foundation and it SHOULDN'T be that easy to change them, especially when we're getting threats from the BULLY in charge. There's too many members who will fall over easily when faced with threats from a BULLY and thank gosh there's enough EDUCATED members who can see it for what it is and TAKE A STAND BY NOT allowing this POS to pass.

Well Helen, this lawyer voted no. After considerable research to inform myself on the issues I concluded that the proposed changes to the retirement and health care plans were not in the best interest of the employee or Connecticut.
I am a tier IIa employee that might be in danger of losing my job. If that is to be, than so be it. I cannot support a plan that is destined to have a negative impact on the citizens of Connecticut. I also will not be bullied into accepting fundamental changes to our way of life in America simply to keep a job.

a few things that finally pushed me over the edge to vote "no":
1. We weren't given the full disclosure on the health care package until the week before the vote.
2. our A & R reps (president laila, and president wanna be mike winkler) kept skirting around the issues and questions people would ask. The president kept deferring to mike because she was totally unprepared with any real answers.
3. When asked by a rank and file member, "what is your strategy should the concessions not pass," it took are leaders 5 minutes of continuous ranting of this has to pass, before our wonderful president finally said"
our strategy is we are putting together packets of information advising where to get serivces if your laid off". period, end of story.

I just don't understand why all of these outraged ct citizens who aren't union employees, were not in the rooms with us listening to our leaders try to railroad us, not have any anger towards Malloy, who approved a budget before a vote was cast, is spending money on unnecessary bus lines, on an expansion to uconn that could wait a couple of years until the budget is balanced, on additional money being given to windham hospital for ambulatory clinic that can also certainly wait. Please, someone enlighten me, because I just don't get it.

aristotle, i am so with you!! i have contemplated resigning if this POS agreement passed. thank god it didnt!! id be more than happy to go contractless for the rest of my career and retire with what im making now, and keep my anthem healthcare, and retirement that i signed up for when i took the job, not have it changed 1/2-3/4 of the way thru my career.

I have been following the current budget negotiations/ votes for the last several week because it will directly impact my life and the life of my family and co-workers and all the strangers I do not know that are tax-payers.

First allow me to say that I am a tax-payer AND a state employee. I voted no, not because I am a greedy, lazy, blood-sucking pig (these are names that we are called) of an employee, but rather I voted no because I believe the current contract that was negotiated WITHOUT my input or that of the other 47,000 state employees is not in my best interest. (Oh I can hear the moans and groans now.) I voted no and it is no one’s business but my own. I have my reasons and I do not need to explain them to anyone. I also want to tell my co-workers that have less than five years that I DO NOT want you to lose your job. You are my friends, my second family. Believe me when I say I know how you feel, I too was in your position at one time and DID lose my job via a lay-off. It isn’t fun. I know what comes with being laid off. I want to also tell you that I respect YOUR reasons for voting yes. I know exactly why you voted the way you did. I would hope that you could respect me as well for my reasons for voting no.

To the rest of Connecticut’s tax-payers, I want to tell you who I am. I am a married mother of two working my butt off to help support my family. The bank owns my home and I pay a mortgage to live in it. I cringe to think of my taxes going up. I am not lazy. I go to work every single day to do a job that I am paid for. I start work most days earlier than my start time, have worked into my lunch and who has worked past my stop time. I do not suck the system for over-time and I have a contract that says I am not allowed to work over-time even though there are many many times that circumstances NEED me to work over-time. If I work ten minutes after my stop time, I am not allowed to put in for ‘comp time’ because in my contract it says that I need to work in 15 minutes allotments in order to put in for ‘comp’ come. I do it anyways, and I never ever try to fudge my time just so I can tack on the hours. I do it ALL FOR FREE! I do it because I have a job to do and a job that needs to be done. I am not alone. My entire office works this way. We do it because we serve you, the public. So before some of you post that all state workers are blood-sucking thieves who are robbing the system blind, please remember me, and so many state employees who are just like me. I am serving you because I want to and because I love what I am doing.

Lastly I want to say to all those who are foaming at the mouth at the possible demise of 7500 state employees that you need to be prepared.

Be prepared to have the phone ring time and time again when you are calling a state agency because those that are left in the office you are calling will not be able to get to you as quickly as they should. They will be busy trying to keep up with all the extra work left behind by the co-workers let go. Many offices are already working understaffed and working with less employees will only make matters so much worse.

Be prepared to wait in longer lines at the DMV if you need a new license, need to register your car, or perhaps your new sixteen year old wants to apply for his/her permit. DMV may need to have shorter hours open to the public to keep up.

Be prepared this summer for the pot-holes that were left behind by the worst winter in recent years not to be fixed. Be prepared this winter to have fewer plow trucks on the roads and strap yourself in your vehicle for a wild commute ride because the streets and highways will be a mess. Not enough employees to keep up with the snow.

Be prepared if you happen to need to call DCF, for a worker not to get to you in a manner that your are used to. You can only do so much in an 8 hour day. And please don’t complain that your kid is in danger in the "other parent’care because the workers that are overworked now, and the system that is overloaded with children taken from abusive homes will not be able to hangle ‘your case’ as fast as you believe he/she needs to. That's reality.

Be prepared when you need to go to court whether it is for a criminal case, housing, motor vehicle, family, domestic, probation, or divorce to wait. If you are stopped for speeding, rolling through a stop sign or for a cell phone violation, be prepared to wait. Those dockets will need to be smaller and you will have to wait months upon months to have your case heard.

Be prepared to for several prisons to close and for thousands of inmates to be released back into our communities. There will be no other choice but to release them because we will not have enough Correctional Officer’s to take care of an already overloaded system.

Be prepared for our restaurants to close, retail to suffer, our housing market to collapse even more and for 7500 more people in Connecticut walking the unemployment line (and we tax-payers paying them to stay home and do absolutely nothing for a minimum of 26 weeks) and only spending what they absolutely need to spend. This mass lay-off will impact everyone. And that includes all those screaming for the lazy bum state workers be fired.

Godspeed to all…we are going to need it. L

Some people seem to think it's more important for them to get a 2.5% raise than it is to spend money on bus lines, an expansion to the Uconn Med center or on additional money being given to Windham hospital for an ambulatory clinic.

The Governor, SEBAC and legislature are to blame for any layoffs that happen because they have not put in place a legitimate plan for shared sacrifice. State employee comcessions should NOT be the primary source of savings when there are budget problems. All state workers (Tiers I, II, and IIA) need to share equally in any give backs; their needs to be cuts and freezes in spending or borrowing for current and proposed non-essential projects/programs until there is an adequate surplus; deputy commissioners should be eliminated and managers reduced to the the bare minimum; and municipal aid needs to be scaled back.

State employee compensation is not the cause of the budget deficit; uncontrolled spending is. SEBAC should hire an auditor to go over the past budgets to identify the programs/projects and legislative sponsors so that CT taxpayers can see who is really responsible for CT's financial woes. End the budget problem by controlling spending now.

The Governor does not have to lay anyone off. Workers will agree to a deal that includes furloughs, wage freezes, forfeiting longevity payments, and increased contributions to the current heath care plan, with an agreement that there will never be changes to retirement for current employees. New health care and retirement plans should only apply to new Tier III hires. This is what NY's Governor did to successfully address NY's budget package along with spending cuts. Time to fix the state budget deficit and economic duress, not add to it with layoffs impacting state business people too.

Both union representatives and administration officials said they will not go back to the bargaining table if the vote fails.

“There are no do-overs here,” said Matt O’Connor, a spokesman for the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition. “The job security provision entered into with the previous governor ends this month and anyone could be laid off now.”

Dear Bluff,
I am a 28 year state employee with a master's degree. And I still voted no. I am in the office at 7:00 every day and most days work through my 1/2 hour lunch so that the phones do not go unanswered. When I came to my jobe in 1984, they had stopped offering tier1 plans. 3 years later, when they decided to get rid of the tier 1 plan altogether, they told us we could buy into the plan, but we would have to come up with the money retro to the prior 3 years. no one explained to us the benefit of this plan, or how it would impact us years later. As a single mother at that time, with 2 children, and making approximately $18,000, I couldn't afford the money needed to buy back. so now here I am, 65 years old and a tier2. and after getting ripped off in the beginning, I am now being asked to allow myself to get ripped off again. I am not allowed overtime, and we are never offered comp time if we work extra hours. I don't make 6 figures, and really want to retire someday without having to get another job to survive. I don't have the luxury of being in a 2 income family. I have never once voice objection to any concessions in the past including the furlough days(which was a real financial hardship for me) but I guess according to the state employee bashers, I'm a selfess, ignorant, uneducated "typical" state employee

Like i said, under Rowland we united and protested for far less, today, the scabs want to go party with Malloy like monika lewinski with clinton in the white house

Newer employees in jeopardy of layoff, welcome to the real world.

If you voted "yes" just to save YOUR job, sorry but I don't feel bad for you. We all started out there years back and had to put up with numerous threats and actual layoffs, only to be called back later on.

Many older employees have given up ALOT over the years with no threat of themselves getting laid off, to save their co-workers jobs. However, this time, Enough is Enough. We can't give up what they wanted up to this time. You're just going to have to sweat it out like we did years ago. In fact, many of us went home on a Friday after going away parties, cleaning out desks, etc. only to be called over the weekend to return to work on Monday. This is how it works.

If this POS SECRAP deal was different, many more folks would have supported it. Unfortunately, it was concocted by a union leadership out of touch with their own members so don't fault us to save your neck. Your blame is with SECRAP and the union leadership who supported this POS agreement. You can also find fault with the "labor friendly" governor. He may not accept the blame but the buck stops with him.

So please, don't tell me your sob story for we have all lived it again and again over the years. If things were different this time we wouldn't be here but unfortunately we are.

Take your hate and anger on SECRAP and don't displace it on your co-workers.

Enough........ I am with you..... I will also put my degrees up against Helen as well..

Helen you have made your point over and over and over again.....we get it already....

at least 3,000 positions per year the next two years could easily be trimmed by attrition. Many state positions are the end date contract types that don't have to be re-newed. Probably 1,000 to 2,000 people will be retiring and a large percentage of those won't need to be re-filled. Layoffs are cruel and not necessary. The size of government can be trimmed strategically with attrition.

For once I have to agree with Helen. There was so much information on line regarding all aspects of the agreement. People should have read everything available prior to voting. Ultimately it is up to you to research whether the agreement is beneficial to you or not.

I recently created a wish list and here it is:
I wish the governor acted AS IF he cared about us hard working and dedicated employees...After all he is our boss
I wish the unions had acted AS IF they were representing the people who depend on them to be honorable, honest and trustworthy.
I wish the concession package was really something I could vote for but sadly I could not.
Finally I wish that after the layoffs devastate this State, the general public will realize what important services we provide and will begin to respect us...AS IF we're human beings with families, friends, dreams and yes Wish Lists

I never understood the argument about people not knowing enough about the concession package for them to make an informed vote.

All you have to do is to read the actual Sebac agreement:
http://inthistogetherct.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/SEBAC-TA-STMNT-DO...

Helen,

I have read the entire agreement, therefore I voted being fully informed. The health care piece is where people are having the problem. Clearly, people do not want any part of socialized medicine. One only needs to see how socialized medicine is a bysmal failure everywhere it has been enacted. If this healthcare program is so wonderful, why isn't it being applied to the HUSKY program?

So Helen how many times must it be said, this deal failed only because of the healthcare portion. I am far from an uneducated sheep.... Accept the fact that the members do not want forced socialized medicine and move on!

LHOLLIS, it is not about Socialized medicie. Sorry. Where the heck do you people come up with this term. It is just a new way of doing health care. Its better than no care which is where 7,000 state employees will be dealing with cus it is a no go. Corrections had nothing to lose, but now, they will lose their jobs.

IT DID NOT JUST FAIL BEACAUSE OF THE HEALTHCARE PORTION. DONT YOU READ?? It failed for healthcare issues, pension issues, union secracy and Governmental Bullying. THAT is what newspapers are saying.. That is what our staff is saying. It would not fail for one single reason.

UGH, I cant wait to go to bed and wake up and find out my child and i dont have healthcare soon. OR a roof to live under..

The people who voted this down are almost all against the value based health care. If the union asked the membership, they would have found out. We all have Sal's email saying no. Monetary concessions being discussed, just cost saving measures. The failure is with the Governor and sebac. John Pelto gets it. You should have listened to the membership and we could have concessions we all agree to. Arrogance was your downfall. The scab mentality still comes out of uyour words. Why don't you quit feeling sorry for yourselves and unite and march on Hartford. Let Malloy know he is a worse tyrant then Rowland? I know the answer, it is because you are more loyal to democrats then you arte to your union... Scabs

lhollis, i rather be told what do do and have medication then no insurance and having to pay for it myself. I dont care what sal, or anyone calls this plan. It is a plan, it is better than no plan, it is better then the cuts to municipalites malloy states will be cut. Its a better plan then closing prisons or the ever escalting haneous crimes being committed. I dont go to the casino, i dont gamble. Not with my life...

I too am in a position where I can be out of a job and I of course do not want that to happen to me or anyone else. However, I am uncomfortable with this value based healthcare program. Personally I would much rather take a pay cut, have slightly higher co-payments, take a reduction of hours, wage freezes, and even work 3 additional years before I would want this healthcare. And yes I realize that this is my opinion and I respect other's opinions as well.

If the Gov and union would have actually asked members what we were willing to give back, we would have not be facing 7,000 layoffs.

I worked with a gentleman who died of colon cancer at the age of 54. He never got to enjoy his retirement years. Had he had a colonoscopy at 50 he would be alive right now. That my friends is a cold, hard fact and it had one hell of an influence on my life.

Having to get screened for diseases such as this are a good sense idea. You should be doing this on your own and not be depending on a rule at work tell you to do it. It's nice that Sebac cares about our health...but...people should be doing this anyway. It's common sense and the intelligent thing to do.

I get a physical every year. I have me teeth cleaned twice a year. Maybe that's why this doesn't bother me. I am already responsible for my health.

We all end up paying for other people's poor health care choices in the end. Preventative measures save million of dollars and lives. That's just a fact.

Hele You are dealing with people who are complaining that they should go to the dentist twice a year. If they are so stupid that they do not get their colon checked then they get what they deserve. You cannot reason with dopes.

Its great that 391 was a 2-1 NO like the other two locals. thats where helen and her cronies REALLY tried to strong arm everyone to vote yes, my head union reps told us to vote no (which i was planning to anyways).

hey larry, i doubt the prisons will get privatized, who would want to buy those sinking ships seeing as malloy is letting all the skids out early, there wont be anything left for a private company to make money on...

Please, this is America. Do not mandate what I have to do or can't do in my medical life. That is private. Same with dental. None of the union's business and none of yours. Why not make sickle cell anemia a mandatory check? because it discriminates. Stay out of our healthcare. You didn't learn what Pelosi learned. People do not want that and react strongly, even in Ct. That is where sebac messed up. We don't wanrt it. too bad, concessions could have been made. News from 391 not so good for the yes people.

Proud There is always a buyer if the price is right. They should also bring the DMV private. If they ran the prisons and DMV as a business someone would make a lot of money. Have not received the routing number yet

bluff and ben dover talk tough because they are safe from layoffs. they would be crying if it was them. do not let them fool you

People here saying, "we're paid the same as you" have NO IDEA how much healthcare costs in the private sector. My family has what's considered "good" health insurance, and we pay $800, a month, with $30 co-pays and a $1500 deductible. My friend, who is a state employee, pays $30 a month for her insurance and has no deductible and no co-pays! I've read through your agreement and I have one of the "five illnesses" and I would give my left arm to have a plan that let me go to the doctor for free on a regular basis and gave me reduced co-pays (or free!) for my pharmacy costs. Because I can't afford to go to the doctor right now, and I have to pick and choose what supplies I get each month to manage my illness. (My state employee friend, BTW, was psyched about the value-added plan.)

And to the people crying "socialized medicine!" your agreement was pretty clear that you absolutely wouldn't be joining Sustinet. You might be offered the chance in the future, but you'd have to vote on that, correct? And since you're already the beneficiaries of socialized medicine--your costs are socialized--it seems a little wolfish to be decrying a plan that would offer decent healthcare to everyone in the state when you have great plans paid for by the state yourselves. A relative of mine who had a pre-exiting condition just paid close to $2000 a month for a crappy policy with a huge deductible and would have benefitted tremendously from Sustinet, but that's really neither here nor there as it had nothing to do with your agreement, just saying.

I've been a Union supporter all my life. I'm sympathetic to your pension predicament and believe that the state has to honor the agreements they promised upon your hire (though you've got to stop those overtime tricks, really, and the double-dipping). All companies should do this, private and public. Bankers and investors stole that money, and the state was complicit by kicking the funding can down the road. Healthcare is a harder nut to crack, though. While the pension funds should have been managed better, does the state have control over the premiums that an insurance company charges other than collective purchasing power? In the private sector insurance companies will raise an employer's premiums outrageously if one of their employees contracts a serious disease like cancer. So does the state (taxpayers) just eat that cost of the rising premiums while your contributions remain the same or you see a meaningless increase in the face rising costs?

Anyway, to the people who voted "no" based on pension concessions, I understand why you did that. To the healthcare naysayers, I'm not sure what you're offered healthcare-wise if you're an unemployed state employee, but you'll get a taste of what you plan actually costs via COBRA. Or welcome to Charter Oak, more of that dreaded socialized medicine you've been enjoying. If municipal aid gets cut, you bet I'll not be enjoying another bitter budget referendum and increased property taxes. And I also won't be enjoying my calls to the state agency I deal with, if I can even get anyone on the phone anymore.

Oh, and as much as I question some of what Malloy has done, you can bet that Foley would have attempted to go Wisconsin on the unions, while cutting as many services as he could. If you think you would have had it better with him, I really question your judgement, unless you'd like to see the unions broken.

i picture her as one of those "hotties" working at dmv haha lmao

even thou, she is really a he and i believe his name is SAL

Hey TCO, the last thing we need is a jerk like you bragging about how much money you claim you make and your benefits. First of all your full of crap, the only way your making that kind of money as a C/O is if you're living at work, in which case you have no life. You might be educated but your not to bright!

id dedicate 3 years of my life to run away with a pension of around 70k a year for life... if he was really smart he wouldve started the job at 18-20 y/o and be 38-40 and retiring with those numbers. thats my game plan!!

Malloy would have preferred plan A but Plan B will make him famous. Once he does the layoffs and start to bring agencys private his value as a national candidate will go up. You no voters just made his day. I feel bad for the people getting laid off.

Nope, they work in the state university system. I'll double check with them tomorrow, but they said their premium would raise to $60 under the agreement. They were a union rep at one point and had to beat back a lot of the healthcare fear mongering from their colleagues. And even though I am disappointed I am still a union supporter. Public employees work directly for the entities that make the laws that affect workers. The union is the buffer that half-saves them from the absolute vindictiveness of politics.

I will prob get laid off. But i still voted NO. Dont try and bully us. Malloy is a joke. i've only been on the job for two years. Im the primary bread winner and dont make enough. Im on food stamps and all. raise taxes freeze our wages raise medical. lay me off. ill collect and before u know it ill have more kids get free housing food and medical. this country is going down. Go after management. tons of them that dont do squat who make 100 plus thousand a year. are we not under contract now after we took furlough days wage freeze raised medical. come on now why are we even negotiating?????? well Malloy u tried and failed. U ruined Stamford and now trying to ruin the state. Your political career is over after this term. Free Whitey Bulgar.

nah larry your wife takes care of that while i have my 4 days off each week

Proud you should be so lucky I think the fells in prison would be mad if you cheated on them

larry2011 u sound like a inmate... in fact im probably one of the guys that spent time with your wife when she told you she was out with her friends... im good will have plenty of money n benefits until i die ..... of i probably passed on ur wife cause it was helen ... now ur busted dude .. get lost already

Proud talk to you tomorrow if you are not at prison with your friends or driving through the ghetto LOL

Message to Bend Over: you need a reality check! Earth to Bend Over: Things are very much different today! back in the layoffs of 2003 & before were with 2 anti union governors(weicker & rowland) Their agenda was to weaken the state employees union and using a fiscal crisis as an excuse. The financial crisis in CT is much worse than in 2003 & before. Malloy is not trying to weaken the unions he is trying to work with them! A much different & positive approach than with weicker & rowland. And back in 2003 & before there was an Early Retirement Incentive Program(ERIP) so the laid off workers were able to come back within a somewhat reasonable time(it still took some up to a year!). There will be no ERIP and there will be more than twice as many layoffs now as compared to before(7500+). It will take several years for many to get there jobs back if they do at all. Also for the DOC there were almost 22,000 prisoners & all prisons were operating at full capacity. Now there is about 17,000 prisoners and 2 facilities have closed(webster & gates) and probably now at least 2 more. So for the correction officers that are laid off it could take several years for many to get rehired & they will probably have to go thru the acadamy again. And to say you could care less about your fellow union brother & sisters that get laid off is a classless & selfless statement! I thought being a union member was being part of a team with respect of everyones thoughts & concerns.(regardless of your thoughts about union mgmt). You are such a team player bend over! And in regards to your bashing of the union & sebac you do not seem to see understand the things have always not been perfect and/or fair. And yes maybe changes have to happen, However it is a fact that we are much much better off with a union and Sebac. Check the other public employees in other states, many do not have unions at all or no collective bargaining &/or binding arbitration. So when you do disagree how about being a little more constructive & positive? Trying doing a little fact checking also. And by calling them SECrap instead of Sebac_& your choice of a screen name does not do any good for your credibilty! Grow up!

tco you are a regular Bill Gates $70k is not alot of money. You are such a lover you are divorced what an idoit

tco, do you know how stupid you're making c/o's look. you're one of these idiots that goes around showing people your pay stub. get a clue! shortly after you retire at 43 you'll probable get locked up and spend another 20 years behind bars!

hey larry u idiot ur still up... i thought helen laid down the law n made u go to bed... yea that is alot of money when u dont have to pay for health insurance or social security or medicare, or pay into tier 2 anymore,no more union dues to the crooks and just maybe 1 more day then half the year i will live in a state with no income take and have my check i mean ur taxes direct deposited into that states bank n go to the atm anywhere i want n withdraw u n helens taxes i mean my check ill think of u guys all the way to the bank lol.. who is un educated now u freaks

tco, the reason you spend so much time at work is because you're probably having sex with inmates. you loser, go frame your pay stub!

Connecticut Democrats, media and unions push state workers to accept concessions

By Dorian Griscom
21 June 2011

Forty-five thousand Connecticut state workers have begun to vote on a deal with the Democratic administration of Governor Dannel Malloy containing $1.6 billion in concessions. Both Democrats and Republicans in the state legislature, the bureaucratic functionaries of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) and the corporate media have all sought to turn up the heat on the workers amid initial signs of rank-and-file opposition.

The deal is universally presented as a “no-brainer,” with warnings that catastrophe will inevitably ensue if the deal is rejected, and mass layoffs result from a no vote. Behind these at times hysterical warnings is a palpable fear that the workers will reject the give-backs dictated by the state and the SEBAC union apparatus.

The Democratic governor has set the tone. Having initially threatened the layoff of 4,700 state employees as the unavoidable outcome of a no vote, Malloy said in a press conference on Thursday, June 2, “They would increase dramatically above that. I think they would reach very deeply, well past people employed 10 years or more.” The governor’s message to state workers could not be clearer: accept sacrifices in wages, pensions and benefits, or join the unemployment lines.

Steven Mikutel, a Democratic state representative from Griswold, underscores this threat: “All hell’s going to break loose if they turn down that agreement. I think they’d be crazy to turn it down.”
The Republicans’ take has been first to suggest—ludicrously—that the deal is a giveaway to state employees. They have sought to take Malloy and the Democrats to task for their supposed inability to take the gloves off when dealing with the workers and to take up their refrain—all too familiar to those who followed recent events in Wisconsin—that public sector workers are free-loading off hardworking “taxpayers” with their allegedly lavish benefits. Back in May, when the first details of the arrangement were made public, House Minority Leader Larry Cafero said, “They [the Democrats] made a bad deal that Connecticut taxpayers already cannot afford and made things much worse.”

A provision in the agreement promising no layoffs over the next four years left Republican Senate Minority Leader John McKinney apoplectic. “A four-year no-layoff pledge, which no one in the private sector has, leaves us four years from now right where we started. Unemployment in the private sector is 9.1 percent. Unemployment in government is zero percent,” said McKinney.

Republicans have also called the agreement into question on the grounds that it may not save the state the money promised. As Republican State Party Chairman Chris Healy put it in a June 6 press release, “Gov. Malloy’s grand plan to wring $1.6 billion in savings from state employee unions has been long on rhetoric and short on reality.”

Republican rhetoric aside, Malloy is in reality pursuing concessions every bit as sweeping as anything sought by his Republican counterparts, but he is doing it with the open collaboration of the union hierarchy, which insists that workers’ only alternative is to back the Democratic Party.

The SEBAC union coalition has sought to palm off the concessions package as some kind of victory in the face of difficult circumstances, mainly on the grounds that there will supposedly be no layoffs over the next four years. To this end, they have held a series of meetings with state workers discussing the deal. In a video from one of these meetings, Dan Livingston, SEBAC’s chief negotiator, tells workers, “Nowhere else in the country will you find four years of job security.”

A June 8 editorial in the Hartford Courant, Connecticut’s main newspaper, is a reactionary composite of the positions put forward by the Democrats, the Republicans and the SEBAC bureaucracy. To the question of whether Connecticut state workers should accept billions in concessions, the paper replies resoundingly—and predictably—in the affirmative. “They should, for the sake of the state and because it’s truly a good deal for them. Their benefits would continue to be the envy of all.…

“A thumbs-down to the deal by the rank and file would be a catastrophe for them and for the state. We hope there’s a large silent majority of the 45,000 state workers who will seal the deal before the end of this month. This is as good a bargain as they can get—starting with a no-layoff guarantee for four years. Changes in health and pension benefits would still leave state workers with enviable plans.”

As the editorial makes clear, there is no disagreement within Connecticut’s political and media establishment—including the trade unions—that the state’s budget shortfall can only be made up through an attack on the wages and benefits of state employees. As far as the Democrats, the Republicans, SEBAC and the Hartford Courant are concerned, a rejection of the concessions package would amount to an act of budgetary sabotage, for which workers would have to pay by sacrificing their job security and facing a more direct and brutal attack on their livelihoods.

SEBAC, the organization which negotiated the agreement with the Malloy administration, represents 15 state employee unions. To go into effect, the agreement must be ratified by 14 of these 15 unions, with a vote of at least 80 percent in favor. The 15 unions are divided into 34 bargaining units, and the voting itself is being carried out by individual bargaining units. Voting is expected to finish by June 24. As of this writing, 5 out of 34 bargaining units have voted to ratify the deal.

At this point, the deal has also been rejected by one bargaining unit, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 749, which represents clerical workers. AFSCME as a whole comprises 1 of the 15 unions voting. There are 7 other bargaining units within AFSCME, whose votes will be tabulated along with Local 749’s in arriving at a total for the union.

The agreement was also turned down by AFSCME Local 1565. Unlike Local 749, Local 1565 is not a bargaining unit in itself, but one of three Locals that together constitute the bargaining unit within AFSCME for employees of the Department of Corrections. Of the other two locals in this bargaining unit, one is in the process of voting and the other will vote June 22-23.

The $1.6 billion concessions package contains give-backs on practically every level, from wages, to pensions, to health care. Wages will be frozen for two years. After July 1, 2022, the retirement age for a large portion of state workers will be increased by 3 years.

The Early Retirement Subsidy will be reduced for employees who retire early after September 1, 2011. Rather than the 3 percent of annual pay early retirees have customarily paid, these retired workers will be required to pay 6 percent. In addition, these individuals will be compelled to share the cost of their health care premiums with the state, at a rate yet to be determined.

As for health care, the plan calls for various co-pay increases. It requires all workers to pay into a Retiree Healthcare Trust Fund at a rate of 3 percent of income for 10 years. Those wishing to receive retiree health care will need to put in at least 15 years working for the state.

The agreement also includes a switch to “Value-Based” Healthcare, a cost-cutting measure that has grown increasingly popular among large corporations. Workers will be required to get one physical and two dental cleanings each year, along with age-appropriate screenings. Those who are discovered to have certain conditions will be required to go on Disease Management Programs dictated by the measure. Those who fail to receive the required screenings or fail to participate will see their premiums go up by $100 per month, on top of which they will have to pay a $350 deductible each year for each member of their household. The program will be mandatory for new employees and optional for retirees.
The aim of these myriad concessions is to cover a $3.3 billion budgetary shortfall for the state. As he hammered out his budget for the coming fiscal year, Governor Malloy coined the slogan “shared sacrifice” as its supposed driving principle. This cynical rhetoric was meant to suggest that rich and poor alike would be asked to solve the state’s budget issues in an equitable fashion, everyone tightening their belts a little, in fair proportion to their means.

This slogan could not have been farther from the truth. While Malloy’s budget asked for a modest increase (about 1 percent) in income taxes for those making over $100,000 and a minimal tax increase on various luxury goods and services, this was still enough to arouse the ire of Republicans and the narcissistic social elements they represent, who regard even the most microscopic limitation of their ability to accrue more wealth as an intolerable affront.

These tax hikes are negligible in comparison to a series of punishing cuts to health care, education and various social services offered by the state. The cuts to social programs and the concessions demanded from state workers are two aspects of one and the same effort on the part of the financial and political elite to put the burden of the budget shortfall on the shoulders of the working class.

As if to underscore the deep connection between these two fronts in the assault on the living standards of working people, the Connecticut legislature passed Malloy’s budget with the $1.6 billion in savings from labor concessions included before workers had even begun to discuss the measure, much less vote on it. This sets up a convenient political narrative in which the viability of the state’s budget appears to depend on the state workers’ ability to ratify SEBAC’s agreement with the state. Should they reject the measure, state employees will be blamed for ruining the budget, and the ensuing layoffs and calls for deeper give-backs will be painted in the press as the inevitable consequence of their poor judgment.

As SEBAC spokesman Matt O’Connor put it, “His [Malloy’s] hands are really kind of tied if he gets to July 1, and there’s no actual budget, there’s a budget with this big hole in it.” The media can naturally be relied on not to mention that Malloy has in fact done everything in his power to ensure that his “hands” are “tied.”

All of the participants in this shakedown seek to behave as though labor concessions and cuts to social programs are the unavoidable outcome of some immutable objective process. This outlook must be rejected. There is more than enough money not only to eliminate Connecticut’s deficit while keeping state workers’ wages and benefits, as well as all social programs, intact, but to drastically improve those wages and benefits and expand state services. That money is to be found in the fortunes of the super-rich, who reside in no small numbers on Connecticut’s “gold coast,” one of the principal centers of hedge fund managers.

According to Forbes’s list of The World’s Billionaires, there are four individuals living in Connecticut whose personal wealth is greater than or equal to the state’s $3.3 billion budget deficit. There are 11 billionaires in the state, with a combined wealth of $31.4 billion, nearly 10 times the deficit. Steven Cohen, Connecticut’s richest man, has an estimated net worth of $8 billion dollars, more than enough to cover the deficit twice over.

You want to know the crazy part of this whole thing?

The majority of union members in the great State of Connecticut just voted "yes" to approve this concession agreement.

But you know what? The majority doesn't rule in this case. In this case the agreement dies. Very strange.

The majority of State workers will walk around the workplace having voted to approve this agreement. Yet....in this case.....the majority simply does not matter. That...my friends...is simply not fair.

More workers voted yes.
Less workers voted no.

Those are facts.

It's true. The majority of unionized state workers voted yes to the SEBAC agreement. What a mess the tiny minority has pulled the entire state into now.

Sad, sad, sad day for CT and for the entire nation (in that this strengthens the organized union-bashing infiltrators ----- the Koch brothers and that ilk). The foolish "no" voters are short-sighted and have been manipulated by the far right AND a lunatic fringe branch of the far, far left who are still confirmed and unreconstructed Marxists.

Oligarchies become banana republics. Former communist countries get taken over by strong-men and gangsters. And it just gets uglier and uglier.

Look at Russia now!

This is depressing. What a mess!

In an e-mail to his caucus members, Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, wrote: "The failure to ratify by state employees does more harm to them and the cause of labor than anything their enemies could possibly achieve. It's unbelievable that they don't understand that.'

Labor deal to balance budget 'unlikely'

Updated: Thursday, 23 Jun 2011, 9:20 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 23 Jun 2011, 9:16 PM EDT

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Thursday he is doubtful that state employee unions will agree to roughly $2 billion in concessions and other labor savings over two years to balance the state budget, and he scheduled a special session next week for lawmakers to pass a plan that could lead to thousands of layoffs and further spending cuts.

The new Democratic governor said he wants lawmakers to return to the Capitol on June 30, the final day of the fiscal year, to vote on the revised budget plan and to expand his budget-cutting authority.
Malloy said he always hoped that the agreement reached between his administration and the State Employee Bargaining Agent Coalition would be ratified by the 45,000 unionized workers, but "that looks increasingly unlikely."

"I am loath to make the decisions facing us at this juncture — including layoffs, programmatic and municipal aid cuts — but I am left with no choice." Malloy said in a written statement. "Working with the legislature, we will have a balanced budget and one that, while making painful cuts and difficult decisions, will be balanced honestly without tricks or gimmicks."

The tentative agreement needs the approval of at least 14 of the 15 unions in the coalition; as of Thursday night one union had rejected it, and 11 others had approved it. The results of the remaining union votes are expected to be announced Friday.

The General Assembly has already approved the two-year budget and counted on $1.6 billion in labor savings over two years to balance the state's books amid a $3.3 billion deficit, beginning July 1.
Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, sent a message to his fellow Democratic senators asking them to clear their calendars for the special session. If the agreement is ratified, workers would be protected from layoffs over the next four years.

"We all wish this were unnecessary. The failure to ratify by state employees does more harm to them and the cause of labor than anything their enemies could possibly achieve," Williams wrote. "It's unbelievable that they don't understand that."

Malloy, who spoke to reporters earlier in the day, did not provide a specific number of possible layoffs but called them "large-scale" and said he agreed with his senior adviser who told reporters Wednesday they would be in the ballpark of 7,500. Malloy said state employees, on average, will likely leave the state payroll around Sept. 1.

Given that delay, he said the number of layoffs will increase to cover the expense of paying people until Sept. 1.

Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield, said he doubts Malloy will issue 7,500 layoff notices, calling it a scare tactic. While he acknowledges layoffs will be needed, he said there is still plenty Malloy can cut that does not affect jobs.

Malloy has said if the labor deal fails, he will not raise taxes any further beyond the $1.4 billion increase in the first year of the budget and $1.2 billion in the second year. But besides layoffs, Malloy has said other spending cuts will be necessary. He has not ruled out reductions in state aid to cities and towns, something the former mayor of Stamford had avoided in the past to prevent local property tax increases.

Malloy said he expects to release his so-called Plan B budget on Monday.

Larry Dorman, a spokesman for the union coalition, said the unions are still hoping to ratify the deal, calling the alternative "a disaster."

"We understand that the governor wants to get moving, but the nuclear option doesn't serve anyone's interest and it would be horrible for the economy to witness mass layoffs," he said.

Meanwhile, Jon Pepe, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 391, the Connecticut State Prison Employees, said that he hopes his 1,850 members vote for the deal but believes many will vote no. Two other AFSCME prison locals have done so.

"My members are voting, but I believe the early release of everybody's returns didn't help matters," he said. "All they hear is no, no. They feel, let me vote no too."

Local 391 represents correction officers, food service, maintenance, counselors, auto mechanics and other prison employees. Pepe said its voting results will be released Friday at 11 a.m.

They are the final AFSCME members to vote. If the majority of AFSCME members vote no, the deal dies; a separate, non-AFSCME union, the Connecticut Employees Union Independent, Local 511, which represents maintenance and service workers, has already defeated it.

Pepe, who supports the concessions, said he believes many of his members have been influenced by misinformation about the tentative agreement, especially about a voluntary health care plan to that requires participants to get age-appropriate medical tests and annual physicals.

He said they've been bombarded with fake state employee emails, messages on Facebook, Twitter and on Internet news sites encouraging them to vote down the deal.

"I left it open as long as possible for
my members to get all the information and to help put off the misinformation," he said.

"I put them in the position to control their destiny. Now they hold their fate in their own hands."

I just saw Malloy give a press conference on CTN & it does not look good for the state employees. It could be 7500 or more layoffs although no specific number was given. After reading several hundred posts over the last several weeks I am baffled at some of the very ignorant & stupid comments. I have read a lot of comments bashing the unions, Malloy & the state legislature. We would not have 1/2 of what we have today if it wasn't for the unions fighting for us. Yes things are not perfect but the facts are that Malloy, a majority of elected officials and most state voters are supporters of unions. The very negative comments makes me wonder how legit some of these posts actually are. My guess is that many are from individuals who are from the right wing( those that detest unions & state workers )who are trying to spread as much mis information & negative comments as possible.(divide & conquer) The others who actually are State employees are either very ignorant &/or very out of touch with reality. You old-timers (mostly DOC) still think this is the nineties & the battle is against Weicker & Rowland. Well reality check: this is 2011, many states are near bankruptcy(incl. CT),& it is the worst economy is over 75 years! Many public unions are portrayed in a negative way thanks to Fox news,limbaugh,hannity ect ect. We in CT(State employees union) had a chance to prove to the entire country that we are part of the solution not the problem if the concessions had passed & that collective bargaining does work!. Well thanks to all the No votes we are now the problem! Please do not forget that it looks like a good majority of union members did approve as well as 13 unions, but because of the strange rules it looks like it will be defeated. So all you No votes go pound your chest and tell everyone you stood up to the big bad bullies of the Malloy administration. Tell the 7500 hundred or so fellow union members who will be laid off ,many who probably be facing bankruptcy &/or foreclosure and a drastic negative change in their lives. Tell them that you stood up for a cause & that yes you did bite the hand that feeds you & probably pissed off 90% of the ct.voters . Tell them that it will all be worth it in the end. Hopefully they will tell what do with your thoughts.( u better duck!) And to those idiots who are State employees who claim that they either supported &/or would rather have seen Foley elected you are without doubt showing your ignorance. Foley would have already most likely laid off 10,000 ,closed 3 or 4 prisons and started privatization of whatever areas he could. Foley would not have even negotiated with the unions! Malloy tried to address the fiscal crisis the proper way and go thru the collective bargaining process & you can see where that got him. So all you no votes what exactly did you accomplish??(except pissing off 90% of the CT. voters) The right wing is loving this! They will now probably have a real chance to get control in 2014. Say goodbye to collective bargaining & binding arbitration and say hello to privatization to many agencies & prisons! To you DOC guys that voted no I hear the private prisons (all non union) start at a whopping 14.00 an hour with 1/2 the benefits! Yes you NO votes did accomplish much, but it is all bad! Go tell your fellow union members in WI.,IN., & OH., who have rightwing anti union thugs in charge how you stood up to big bad bullies of the Malloy administration. Ask them if they think Malloy is that bad? I am sure you will not get sympathy from them. This is a sad day!

When the final vote is tabulated the facts will be as follows:

1) The majority of union members will have voted “yes”.
2) The majority of bargaining units will have voted “yes”.
3) The majority of unions will have voted “yes”.

Yet the agreement will have failed.

That is not fair.
That is not very American.
That is not very democratic.

We use the electoral college for Presidential elections.

However......this vote will be very largely a majority of "yes" votes. Plus.....an overwhelming majority of bargaining units as well as Unions will have voted "yes" for the agreement to be adopted.

When 13 out of 15 entities of any kind cast a vote "yes" for something it is adopted.

Except in this case.

That is why when Sebac meets this week-end they "make adjustments" to the voting rules on these such matters and then, in concert with the Malloy administration swiftly make some tweaks to the concession package and then put it up for an immediate, one day, State wide re-vote.

Then the concession package will be enacted into law.

To all:

I have been watching this and other boards for some time, and I have to say you union people are so unbelievably out of touch with what is actually happening in this country. You act like the state exists to provide you with salary and benefits. On every single board, you guys are posting all day during working hours. (And please don't give me crap about being on different shifts - some of you are posting 24/7.) We obviously need far less of you.

If Malloy has any balls, which I frankly doubt, then thousands of you will soon be joining the ranks of reality, the world that your fellow Americans have been living in since 2007. You will have to figure out how to pay your mortgage with unemployment, and then nothing. You will have to figure out how to buy food. You will see what the real world actually looks like.

The majority of the people in the state of Connecticut cannot believe that you would give up a guarantee of no lay offs for four years, with minimal give-backs because you are so damn greedy you want everything. You people really deserve to be unemployed. And those of you who do not get laid off, I sincerely hope will be replaced by rent-a-workers at half the cost. You people seriously need a dose of reality.

Your dream world is about to crash around you, either because Malloy will actually do what he said he will do, which would be both unique and amazing, or because everyone including the people and the legislature will start passing laws to push you out of your privilaged status. Either way your fluffy little cupcake world is going to be coming to an end.

So enjoy stealing from the people of Connecticut everytime you post when you are on "company time," and enjoy your benefits and bloated salaries while you have them.

Helen

It's not so much the language in the Agreement as the language that is miss-ing from the Agreement...that's the only "miss-information" going on in the agreement!
For example take this scenario:
: A state Employee enrolls in the HEP plan and it is discovered that the person has one of the 5 medical conditions listed in the Agreement that mandate medical management under the HEP plan. The person then does not comply with program requirements for medication or preventive screenings and is placed back on the "Standard Plan". Can the employee be denied future coverage for one of those 5 conditions under the standard plan given that it has been proven under the HEP plan that the person will not "take care of" their condition as recommended?
There also is not a " health insurance plan contract book or provider directory" that can be obtained from Anthem, United/Oxford or the State Comptollers office that is "in effect" beyond June 30, 2011. (as there was no open enrollment this year)...in other words there is not a 2011-2012 plan/contract book that has been published and made available to State employees."Normally" we are sent one of plan books and provider directories by our current insurance carrier annually at the time of open enrollment.

ok...Second scenario...
A tier 2 or 2a state employee chooses to buy into their "normal" retirement age beginning in 2013 using the "very rough" estimated calculations provided in the Agreement...what happens to the employees contributions if Pensions are eliminated in 2022? There is no language in the Agreement stating legal procedures that would be taken to return the investment to the employee. This language must be in the agreement if payments begin in 2013! Also...what happens if the age is again raised in 2022?

These scenarios and questions went unanswered in union info sessions. They are not items I was willing to leave "open ended" when voting.

Dear Scott,

You are right. My bad.

The ink was not dry on the Malloy's inauguration when he demanded 2 bill concessions from the unions. He never looked at the books. Then malloy demanded a budget passed asap. No time to look things over and the democrats did with no debate. In this budget over 2 billion in new not needed spending was approriated as well as new taxes on every thing. Union told members in concession talks no financial burdens are being discussed opr change in health care, just cost saving measures.Most of my union told council 4 that they would not accept changes to the healthcare and pension. They did not believe us. Now after the union tried to change our health care and pension they act like we are the bad guys. They did not listen to us. This whole thing is a charade. Now the yes people are scabs, willing to work for less then union members and work for less benefits then what union members negotiated, they are more loyal or only loyal to the democrat party and not to the union. The worst type of scab. I would rather have non union people bashing us rather then traitors from our union. The worst thing of all is real money concessions could have been made but the zealot progressives had to push. If you get laid off, blame the Governor and the sebac negotiators. If you were real union people and not scabs, you would march on Hartford like we did to Rowland. we followed him for weeks with bullhorn, even went to his birthday party. Yes jeepman, you disloyalty to the union and your willingness to undercut union pay and benefits makes you a scab.

Dear Mammiejane,

I agree with 90% of what you said. The few things I disagree with you on are:

Marijuana should be legalized. You can't stop people from smoking pot, so why not tax the hell out of it. Bytheway, I am a libertarian.

I really really agree with you that Malloy is a hypocitical disingenuous person, and I would not want to have to negotiate with him. He cannot say on the one hand we are going to do more spending than ever before, but it is fair that the Unions have to give up things to make up for it. Malloy cannot be trusted.

There. Surprised?

While I do think union salaries and benefits should be brought in line with similar jobs in the private sector, I think it is riduclous that he should claim that we need to spend more money on pork projects because in his words, "they create jobs." Now he is going to lay off thousands and still spend huge amounts more than any other governor has done in a recession. Gee, where is the consistancy?

Yes, union salaries and benefits should be brought in line with the privat sector, but Malloy should be cutting spending not increasing it. Spending on the type of projects he is contemplating will probably involve out of state companies, and while it will help some Connecticut residents, I doubt it will do as much good as the layoffs will do harm to the job situation in this state.

I have yet to be convinced however, that Malloy will actually lay off those he says. He hasn't told the truth yet. Why should he start now?

Anyway, I second what you said, and agree 90% with you. I think the good that will come out of this "no" vote (yes, I do believe that was a counter productive thing to do from your point of view) is that the Unions are going to lose power. How much, I don't know yet. But just read the papers and see how disgusted Connecticut residents are with the unions. Since I want the unions to have less power, I think this rejection was a good thing overall, since it threw mud in Malloy's face, and it seriously damaged the unions.

How about we march on SECRAP Headquarters and throw the bums out for concocting this POS agreement in the first place, thinking they could jam it down our throats!

"I have been watching this and other boards for some time, and I have to say you union people are so unbelievably out of touch with what is actually happening in this country. You act like the state exists to provide you with salary and benefits. On every single board, you guys are posting all day during working hours. (And please don't give me crap about being on different shifts - some of you are posting 24/7.) We obviously need far less of you"

AND I CAN'T HELP BUT NOTICE YOU'RE HERE TOO! POSTING INCESSANTLY. I SEE YOU ARE MR. PRODUCTIVE YOURSELF. HOW DOES YOUR EMPLOYER FEEL ABOUT YOU POSTING ON HERE ALL DAY?!

OH WAIT, WITH YOUR WONDERFUL MENTALITY ITS EASY TO SEE YOU ARE MOST LIKELY UNEMPLOYED. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD HIRE A DOPE LIKE YOU?

Dear EG,

You are right. I am here almost as much as you union people. But then, I am not an employee. I am stealing from no one. And yes, I am very productive, but I only have to answer to myself.

You on the other hand have to answer to the people of the state. Like I said, this board is proof that we can certainly get along with far fewer state employees.

What I still am having a hard time understanding from everyone who is against the health care plan is that the negotiated agreement allows the most choice; the alternative would force everyone to be the same.

If you want to keep what you have now, which costs more, you can pay a higher premium and deductible.

If you choose to enroll in a plan that will save money, you do not have to pay a higher premium and deductible.

It is the same as the different health plans we have now. You can choose the POE-gatekeeper and pay less, the POE and pay a little more because it costs a little more, or pay for POS and pay a lot more because it costs a lot more.

If the people against the health care plan got what they wanted, there would be no choice. EVERYONE would pay higher premiums and deductibles. This approach is the approach that really forces people to do something.

The only alternative to this is keeping what employees have and NOT paying more. This, obviously, is not a concession, and therefore is not something I think the administration would accept.

I, for one, prefer having a choice. If I don't like the HEP, I can pay for the higher costs. I can try it out, and if I don't like it, I can switch out and pay for the higher costs.

Some may say that if EVERYONE paid more, then the amount more would be less than under the HEP. This may be true, but then the issue is not about choice. It is about forcing some to pay more so that others can have what they want.

To Our Fearless Union Leaders:
Do you still think your strategy of letting your membership hang in the breeze, be insulted and threatened public on a daily basis by Malloy and thousands of other people has worked? I remember back in the beginning of all this when us workers wondered when you were going to come out and defend us? You know - tell everyone how much we have already given back over the years, that we provide important public services. You never did that. Your silence has been deafening. You sided with Malloy to threaten us, coerce us and try to bully us. You never defended us to the public. But Did that work for you? Is that working for you now? We are stronger than even you perceived. Perhaps you need to step back, discuss amongst yourselves (w/out the administration) and figure out how you can renegotiate this deal to properly represent your membership - not just suck up to the Malloy administration. It didn't work the first time - and it won't work the second time. Get a clue.

to all respectively

you make many great points with me and againist me and I admire areas we all can improve...

with that said, I want to say and make clear, "I want to be a part of the union" my parents were part of the union and certainly we can get into all the areas of good and bad, in my families case they were great in many areas, BUT upon retirement they sent several letters each year to retire memeber about "we can guarentee you health coverage after ageXX" even thou they had signed agreements, and the union as a whole took them to court and won, so the union, interms of leadership has to monitored, they are a buisness, and The Great Ronald Reagan would say "trust but verify"...

so in our case I want to be a part of this union and have worked for the state since 1985, but I really believe in this particuliar case the union has not and will not represent us.....forgive me and some of u get nervous and angry when I say this, but this are left wing radicals...we see what Sal Luciano's goal is, he is on the board of susti-net...

so if I am part of a union that for the most part takes my money and uses it for candidates I am total disagreement with, money to get Dan Malloy elected over my candidate Tom Foley, as well as others, I am paying money into my own personal demise, I have no say as a union memeber, I honestly think this can be done mutually positive for the three parties involved, The State Goverment, The Union and The Taxpayer who pays are salary...

This is happening because the The State Government with Dan Malloy as it's leader wants us on some sort of State run Goverment, either now or in the future, The Union Leadership led by Sal Luciano is in full agreement, so they are taking our dues, which in my case is $32 a paycheck, that is $832 a year, and if you multipy that by 45,000 state workers that is that is over 35 million dollars...where is the money going to, for political gain....

now again I don't want to pull out of the union, BUT if we had the threat of open shop where every preson was a $832 pull out on average per year, the union leasership would be less bold, thereby they would HAVE to listen to their memebership or rish a big finanical loss, so again this is what I am saying...

I feel in this particuliar case the union doesn't care about us and they certainly don't respect us, it's always Mis-Information, a pack of lies....

so again i say this respectfully

also as a NO voter they said last night under mark davis wtnh report that a re-vote is something they will consider, and I think these marxist will not go away quietly, and trust me they will not easily scrap this insurance plan, this is there goal to get their foot in the door, I think Malloy will go forward with massive layoffs to scare us and they will say the union leadership "I tild u so", will u consider a re-vote and I expect some fruits finanically better for a re-vote, but I do expect The Same Healthcare to be in the re-vote....trust me I know these Marxest, they are so predictable, The want this State run healthCare and Malloy wants to be the Democrat Nominee in 2016 and he wants to say "I pass State run health care in my state" and I dealt with the unions, so don't celebrate yet!, say NO Socialised Health Care, be strong, trust me they are going to sweeten the pot to switch people and to BAIT them...these are not honest people they aren't respecting us...your going to hear the same old same old, the majority of the people voted for it, the majority of the unions voted for...DONT BE FOOLED!

and I want to say if you voted yes, I do respect you, but look again at what they are doing, think about this if you have 3 kids that means everyone has to go to the dentist 2 a year or pay $1,200, is that what you want for the rest of your lives?

each person matters, this can be done mutually for all 3 parties, The State Goverment, The Union and the Taxpayer, but it can't be done without HONEST comminucations and trust, and the trust has been broken, and we the union has spoken, WE DO NOT WANT THIS SUSTI-NET or SUSTI-NET PLATFORM INSURANCE, PERIOD!!!!!

for once someone must listen to us, and we must not be compromised for a radical left wing spendor!

respectfully
MJ

GAME SET MATCH OVER!!!! IT'S A DONE DEAL!!! YES!!!

Layoff notices are going out today.

This thing is not over.

There will be minor tweaks to the deal.

A Re-Vote will take place.

Many other States have done this.

This deal will then pass.

To Helen: Your buddy, Mark Ojakian, the chief negotiator for the state's side, accepted his $4800 longivity payment, while sitting on Livingston's lap. Now, that's what you call leadership? Think of the mileage that Malloy could had gotten out of it, if Ojakian didn't need the money so badly. Is there 1 example where an elite state employee took a voluntary reduction in pay/benefits, just to lead by example? Well, it took my $300. Being 60, very early Tier II,in a physical job, I voted 'no', I was angry that this was the first concessions where the old-timers did badly. If I was Tier I, like you, I'd be in a better mood. If I saw honest belt tightening across the whole spectrum, reforms in taxation and regulations, I would had voted yes, but all I see is 'monkey business as usual', with the state employees getting the bulk of the shared sacrifice. By the way, if you are 31 years, Tier I, you are working for 30% of your pay, as your pension would now give you 70% of your net pay.