Despite Claims, State Employee Contracts can be Changed
Posted by Amber Gunn - January 07, 2010To close the state’s $2.6 billion budget deficit, Governor Gregoire and many Democratic leaders would rather propose tax increases than modify one of the state’s largest expenses—state worker salaries and benefits. In a December press conference, the governor said unions will sue if she tinkers with contract recommendations, but our state’s collective bargaining laws allow labor agreements to be modified in the event of a significant revenue shortfall.
RCW 41.80.010(6) states: “If, after the compensation and fringe benefit provisions of an agreement are approved by the legislature, a significant revenue shortfall occurs resulting in reduced appropriations, as declared by proclamation of the governor or by resolution of the legislature, both parties shall immediately enter into collective bargaining for a mutually agreed upon modification of the agreement.”
Because the governor has refused to reopen contracts with state workers, the ball is now in the legislature’s court.
Thoughts? Add Comment -
km said on Jan 11 2010 at 11:28am
Amber: Very Interesting! Thanks for posting the relevant RCW, too.
AH Foster said on Mar 09 2010 at 7:42am
You are so correct Mrs Gunn. Not only does Gov. Gregoire and the Legislature cower to the public sector unions, they lack the decency to eliminate obscene perks such as the milage reimbursement for ferry system workers' commute to and from their place of work! (as was reported on this site Jan 14, 2010 by Mr. Brett Davis.
It is preponderance of those currently occupying seats in government, who possess the most offensive vain of selfishness and a lack of compassion toward others, as is manifested in the “addicted to debt” fiscal management at all levels of government, and the insatiable, almost desperate, desire to confiscate the economic benefit individuals receive from selling their lives by the hour.
It is my sincere hope, legislators and agency leaders will come to understand how cruel, and unethical, it is to heap the gargantuan obligation of debt funded socialist (or progressive) programs, projects, and millions of unfair government employee compensation packages onto future generations. That they come to understand how unfair and oppressive it is to allow public sector union contracts to oblige retirements as early as age fifty, at the same time government is moving to increase private sector to as old as age seventy five. This is akin to stealing years away from private sector citizen's lives and giving them to public sector citizens to enjoy in retirement. That they come to understand how galling legislating hugely handsome death benefits provisions to public sector employees, while putting death leans on the homes of elderly people who can not afford inflated property taxes. This situation does not simply sow the seeds of outrage which drive an educated professional middle aged citizen to fly their plane into an IRS building; this is a situation which sows the seeds for something substantially more tumultuous, and on a very grand scale. Today’s children, and their children, are being effectively conscripted to bear the pressure of enormous debt/interest obligations and demands for taxes, which is sure to a lower their standard of living, and the level of freedom and liberty they are able to enjoy. Further, the lion’s share of the debt/interest is being paid to foreign countries, thus transferring the nation’s wealth off shore. It just might be possible, that once these upcoming generations realize what has been heaped upon them by their elders; there may be just a touch of strife. Just a touch...