Labor Leader on Future Contracts

There won't be a new tier and unions are unlikely to make $450 million in concessions during ongoing labor negotiations, according to CSEA President Danny Donohue.
A sixth tier was the central piece of the Mandate Relief Team's recommendations, but Donohue characterized it as a non-starter, which wouldn't address real problems in the state. A spokesman for CSEA added that it's not a matter of negotiation for them and Donohue concluded that new tiers are a waste of time. He said, "At this rate we'll ahve Tier 39 and we're not going to get anywhere."
Regarding contract negotiations for stateworkers whose contracts expired on April 1st, Donohue said they're willing to work with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but said they might not be able to realize the savings he wanted. "We're trying to make the governor aware that we're willing to work with him. We have to give on this, but we also recognize we may not be able to give $450 million," Doonhue said. "If you're looking to get $450 million from CSEA that might not happen."
The governor has said that if he can't get the savings he wants, then up to 9,800 workers might get laid off. Donohue suggested that the governor's proposed threat is terrifying, but could just be a negotiating ploy. He concluded, "We'll come to the table and we'll do what we have to.... but we may not be able to get to the governor's number."

State Layoffs? PEFFFF

The New York State Public Employees Federation has basically told Gov. Andrew Cuomo to rethink a proposal he floated this week that the state might need to layoff between 10,000 and 15,000 employees.
In a statement on Thursday, PEF President Kenneth Brynien said his organization understood the state's drastic fiscal crisis, but rejected the idea of massive firings.
"It would have a chilling effect on the state's economy and undermine the state's fragile recovery. We should all be working together to create jobs, not more layoffs," said Brynien.
"If the goal is to cut costs, PEF has several suggestions on how to achieve savings without damaging state services and harming the dedicated public employees who provide them. What cannot be lost in this debate is this is not just a spending problem, it is a revenue problem."
This release seems to embody a growing hostility between labor organizations and the Cuomo administration. On Wednesday morning during the Mandate Relief Team's meeting, CSEA's Fran Turner went on the defensive about labor benefits.
Remarks from her and NYSUT representatives were sparked by other teammates who suggested something needs to be done about pension costs. THe threats against union workers included team chairman Larry Schwartz's suggestion that there might be a Tier 6 negotiation.
The response from the labor people was essentially that the state needs to take advantage of low hanging fruit savings in technology advances and health care.