© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

15 State Unions Will Vote, But One Has The Numbers

 The state’s employee unions should complete their voting this week on a two-year labor savings and concessions agreement with Governor Dannel Malloy.  But one of those unions could make or break the deal.
 
 
Malloy and state union negotiators agreed to $1.6 billion in savings over two years earlier this Spring.  But that deal now has to get approved by the state’s 43,000 union members.
 
 
those, roughly 37 percent belong to just one union – the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – or AFSCME. And according to Mark Pazniokas, a reporter who covers the state for the Connecticut Mirror, AFSCME is big enough kill the agreement.
 
 
“They in effect have a veto. If AFSMCE votes no, the union leaders can run the table with the rest of the unions, but it still loses.”
 
 
Two things have to happen for the deal to pass.  First, 14 of the state’s 15 unions have to approve it.  Second, those 14 unions have to represent 80 percent of all state employees.
 
 
Should it fail, Pazniokas says the governor will likely begin layoffs.  He has already threatened job losses for thousands of workers.
 
 
“Then the question is, how dramatically will he cut?  He has said he’s going to blow up complete agencies so he can get around seniority.  He does not want to see just the younger and newer workers  go out the door.  Whether he can accomplish that – I don’t know.”
 
 
Pazniokas says the unions should complete their voting by the end of this week.

Jeff Cohen started in newspapers in 2001 and joined Connecticut Public in 2010, where he worked as a reporter and fill-in host. In 2017, he was named news director. Then, in 2022, he became a senior enterprise reporter.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content