Solving Our Economic Crisis without Sacrificing Services

Solving Our Economic Crisis without Sacrificing Services

Resources & Updates on the State Budget Deficit

P-4 Council Members Who are Technical Professionals at the Dept. of Environmental Protection Discussed Recent Concessions Demands at a SEBAC Forum in March

In January 2009, the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) commissioned a public poll showing that broad majorities of Connecticut voters say that cutting vital services during a time of recession will further damage the economy. The week before the Governor's biennial budget speech, our unions launched a new website and a statewide television, cable, and radio ad campaign to deliver the poll's message; that we're all "In This Together, Connecticut."

Throughout early 2009, SEBAC leadership met with representatives of the Administration to reach a comprehensive agreement on how our members can be a part of preserving public services during these difficult times.

Discussions produced a framework for an agreement on a comprehensive solution that provided savings without making the economy worse in April 2009. Check out the "SEBAC Cost Savings & Job Security Agreement" below for information on the agreement and new contracts for most of our State Division Councils, which were ratified by our members and approved by the General Assembly.

Even with our cost-savings agreement, Connecticut continues to face a growing budget deficit. Now that some of the candidates who are seeking to replace Governor Rell are proposing more labor cost savings to close the current and future deficits, it is more important than ever for our members to offer "better choices."

In March, Governor Rell injected herself into the current campaign and presented a series of further concessions from members of the coalition's unions. Her budget chief's letter and their specific demands send a clear message that Connecticut needs real leadership, not political pandering.

Our coalition remains committed to the "win-win" solutions union members put forward back in January. And now that the governor and legislative Republicans are pushing another retirement program for State workers, our ideas for producing cost savings and improving delivery of services are more important than ever.

Coalition leaders have raised concerns about the impact of a thousand or more additional retirements on the quality of public services and the state pension's unfunded liability. More importantly, the governor's representatives still haven't considered our 18-point plan presented in January that offers greater cost savings than early retirements without the estimated $1.2 billion hole they would blow into the pension fund.