California's largest state employees' union voted on Saturday to approve a strike authorization measure to protest furloughs of state workers and pressure state officials to ratify its labor contract.The governor could have (and probably should have) just laid a bunch of them off, but instead created the furlough system which cut salaries but allowed people to keep their jobs and benefits. A strike by these people in this time of fiscal crisis would be irresponsible and really stupid.
A spokesman for Service Employees International Union Local 1000 said a strike was not imminent but that the vote authorized union officers to initiate certain job actions, including a strike if necessary.
The SEIU represents about 95,000 state employees, including clerical workers and teachers.
The group's labor contract with the state expired last year, SEIU spokesman Jim Zamora said. The union negotiated a new deal with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration in February, but the contract has not been ratified by the state Legislature.
Earlier this week, the Republican governor signed a bill that closed a more than $24 billion budget gap. Under the legislation, furloughs will continue for state workers for three days a month, cutting their pay by 15 percent.
"We feel that he (Schwarzenegger) really undermined any kind of a contract deal by pushing these furloughs on folks," Zamora said.
The SEIU said the strike authorization was approved by 74 percent of its membership.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
California State Employee Unions Throw a Hissy Fit
How do you win the hearts and minds of California taxpayers? Not by being petulant and stupid and doing this:
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2 comments:
I say let them strike!......replace them with any of the many un-employed who are qualified, who have had a crash course in humility and a rude awaking that nothing is forever, I’m sure they’d do their job without the attitude, something we have all learned to accept but never liked. It amazes me that Instead of rolling up their sleeves to try to use our "pinching times" as a check list to insure OUR money is not being wasted, they opted for the "it's wasn't me” attitude. Well again I say “LET THEM STRIKE” straight to the un-employment office.
svivar9087
These illiterate educators should just be laid off/terminated. In a time of several financial distress they are crying over a loss of 3 days pay a month, hogwash. These people need to know what it feels like to stand in a long line at the unemployment office.
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