Largest state employee union allows strike

Maybe it's time to start cutting all the fat at the state level. I really believe we have to many state employees walking around with coffee cups in their hands. Time to cut the fat!

If Arnold really wants to save money, now is the time. When Reagan was president he fired all air traffic controllers who went on strike, now it's Arnolds turn to show his political muscle by putting those striking state employees on permanent furloughs!!

Three furlough days cut salary by 14%? So these folks work 21 days per year normally?

They have NOT taken a pay cut.

A pay cut would be doing what a lot of people HAVE taken. Produce the same (or more) work, same number of working hours, for less money.

A furlough day is a non paid day off.

Look In The Mirror wrote:

Three furlough days cut salary by 14%? So these folks work 21 days per year normally?

The state employees are taking 3 furlough days per month....not per year...that means they work an average of 21 days per month...

SEIU had negotiated a contract with the administration in February that would have limited its 95,000 members to a single monthly furlough day. Republican legislators blocked the contract's ratification.

The workers negotiated in good faith. The Republicans went back on their word.

A second union, this one representing state prison guards, may also ask its members to authorize a strike, a spokesman said Saturday.

Delegates to the California Correctional Peace Officers Association's convention voted last month to let the union's executive committee call for a strike.

"We have not done so yet, but we are on the verge of looking at something similar with our members to see if they would be interested in what would be a very, very severe job action," said spokesman Lance Corcoran.

Correctional officers are working without a contract following a bitter years-long fight with the administration. Corcoran said officers also are upset with what they view as Schwarzenegger's dangerous proposals to ease sentences for some crimes to cut the corrections budget.

"Some crimes", like marijuana posession.
"Dangerous" to the overpaid prison guards overtime pay bonanza.

A strike in this poor economy??? How stupid are these state workers?? how stupid is the union??

There will be absolutely no sympathy from the private sector who have suffered the entire unemployment burden.

State workers get furloughs and pay cut, but they STILL HAVE THEIR JOBS !!!!!

Strike and I hope the Gov Arnold fires them all, remember Reagan -- the controllers lost their jobs.

Maybe we'll get lucky and CUSD will go on strike and we can replace the lot of them.

Hank wrote:

... There will be absolutely no sympathy from the private sector who have [sic] suffered the entire unemployment burden....

I think there are a few teachers around here who would differ. And besides, especially in an area like ours, if the public sector reduces its spending, the local private sector suffers. Now, wouldn't it be good to develop sustainable industry in the area so that fluctuations in either sector would be mitigated by the other. Pointing the finger at government spending is worn out rhetoric from the 1980's.

Teachers have been overpaid for many many years while at the same time their performance and the kids test grades continue to go down, while continuing to claim it's because of class sizes.

There are many states which have the same and larger class sizes but have MUCH better education for their kids.

These teachers and the rest of the "public service" unions are disgusting creatures; remindes me of the Teamsters Union antics at their worst; nothing but anti-society/pro union member policies.

Look at the way this headline is written.

"Union allows strike."

There is no strike. And there is no specific plan to strike. But the editorial staff at the ER wants to create that impression on the casual reader. This is propaganda, it is created to cause people to react negatively towards workers and workers organizations.

While the ER never has a problem with business coalitions (Chamber of Commerce and others) who combine to take advantage of consumers and workers- they always attack workers.

Look In The Mirror wrote:

Three furlough days cut salary by 14%? So these folks work 21 days per year normally?

Thats 3 days a month. If you are capable of doing arithmetic it will become obvious that would equal approximately 14% per year.

Fire them all. Nullify all union contracts.

Annoyed wrote:

Teachers have been overpaid for many many years while at the same time their performance and the kids test grades continue to go down, while continuing to claim it's because of class sizes.
There are many states which have the same and larger class sizes but have MUCH better education for their kids.
These teachers and the rest of the "public service" unions are disgusting creatures; remindes me of the Teamsters Union antics at their worst; nothing but anti-society/pro union member policies.

I think that the only "overpaid" teachers were yours.

I love how all you people talk out of your azzzes to offer up solutions. If you don't want big government why do you keep putting all the damn liberals in office? That's the real problem....they LOVE spending your tax dollars every change they get, creating a bigger government and establishing as many social programs as possible.

Time to stand up, cut the fat and support the necessary government run programs like police and fire.

Bear wrote:

I love how all you people talk out of your azzzes to offer up solutions. If you don't want big government why do you keep putting all the damn liberals in office? That's the real problem....they LOVE spending your tax dollars every change they get, creating a bigger government and establishing as many social programs as possible.
Time to stand up, cut the fat and support the necessary government run programs like police and fire.

I agree about limiting liberal spending, but let's not forget the so-called "conservative" policies that got us into this economic mess in the first place. Time for both sides to stop the partisan bickering, limit spending on both sides, stop deregulating greedy banks and looking the other way as greedy business leaders profit while dragging their companies and the public into ruin.

I long for a TRUE conservative who will limit government spending to a reasonable amount without bringing god into the picture to try to micro-manage the morality of the public.

Why do we have a union contract with the state. Do they pay slave wages?? Give no lunches or breaks?? On friday, 4 caltrans workers were watching while one guy dig. WHF Lay them all off.

14% less pay is less taxes for all you system sucking leaches. Keep complaining about workers who pay your way!!!

Employees at my work have been cutting hours back for the last year so part-timers with families can feed there kids. Go ahead and go on strike, where do I get an application for a state job. Fire all of them.

I suggest that these state employees quite complaining and be grateful that they STILL HAVE A JOB and are able to bring home a paycheck. All of us have to help pull California out of this mess. Better to take the furlough days then have massive layoffs.