Council 94 members to vote on revised contract next week
7:07 PM Fri, Oct 17, 2008 | Permalink
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By Steve Peoples PROVIDENCE -- Thousands of rank-and-file union members will vote next week on a four-year contract that will increase their health care costs, delay pay increases in the first year, and boost co-pays for emergency room care and specialists. The tentative agreement reached this week with Council 94, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, is aimed at resolving a three-month standoff that jeopardized roughly $10 million in savings needed to balance the state budget. But the governor's office has refused to say whether the new agreement produces the necessary savings. And the "memorandum of settlement" obtained by The Journal today suggests that the deal contains concessions that could further endanger the state's already-precarious fiscal situation. "We're not going to talk about [the agreement] until they have a chance to vote," Carcieri spokeswoman Amy Kempe said today, adding that discussing financial impacts may "compromise the integrity of the process." The 22 local unions that make up Council 94 will begin voting on the deal as early as Tuesday, according to Council 94 executive director Dennis Grilli. His members soundly rejected a similar deal in July. "It's tweaked a little bit," Grilli said of the latest proposal. "Although it's not the greatest package, we think it's a package that will secure the future for our members." Indeed, the governor and organized labor agreed to the tentative agreement just before court-ordered arbitration began. Given the state's weakening economic situation, the arbitrator could have decided to force a new contract on Council 94 that was worse than the deal its members already rejected, according to Council 94 president Michael Downey. "I'd rather have a contract by us deciding it," said Downey, who was a vocal opponent of the previous agreement. "I'll be voting for it." 
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Go council 94, bargain in good faith and protect yourselves from this destructive failed governorship. Do not let protective programs that have taken years to develop to protect all Rhode Islanders fall to the ground. Can't wait to see the new medicare program; who now will be left behind to fend for themselves.
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I am deeply troubled that people who have alredy worked for 27 years are now told they wont get the pension they were promised at 28 years.
I don't see anyone yanking the governor's pension and blue cross from Cookson.
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Bill said:
The RI tax payer has no legal or morale obligation to preserve and maintain the present unsupportable "protected Union Utopia" e.g. legacy liberal Largeness that exist today in the State of RI. Together we voters do still have the power to change this situation before it is too late! Please go vote in the November election for the future of RI and your children and grandchildren
Per PROJO – As well Some of the RI rank-and-file union members will also vote next week on a four-year contract that will only modestly increase their health care costs, delay pay increases in the first year, and boost co-pays for emergency room care and specialists.
This very modest Union Contract reform is only a half step (if finally acknowledged) or just a drop in the bucket and must be followed by even much more aggressive reform in the very near future.
Why can we not get past this very simple first step and get on to the other very important changes that we so desperately require in RI Government This is only a small part of even much more aggressive changes state wide in how we organize our state to deliver services to the citizens! Thee changes have been way to difficult in coming as we continue to read in PROJO about the foot dragging and stalling tactics.
The Union Lobbyists have even employed their bought and paid for elected associates now entrenched in our RI General Assembly!
Clearly RI State Workers total compensation is still well over market rates. The State Pensions remain a ticking time bomb set to explode very soon. The State Government (representing the taxpayers of RI) has no obligation to preserve this plunder of our pocketbooks.
The state government has the obligation and responsibility to modify and even eliminate the present status quote including Union Contracts modification and or even elimination where practical..
The Governor Don Carcieri and General Assembly Leadership have the obligation to accelerate the reform and corrections that RI desperately requires.
"The Democrats have dominated the Rhode Island General Assembly for over 70 years. ... Powerful special interest groups (like the State of RI Labor Unions) keep them in office ... The Unions call the shots ... protect the status quo in the General Assembly. Today that status Quo includes Union total compensation pkg e.g. pay benefits / medical and pensions that is still well beyond prevailing regional market rates)... We are still overpaying and not getting a fair or good deal!
Yes, and the taxpayers end up paying the bills. ... The RI Taxpayer can no longer afford to vote Democrats back into office.'' The RI tax base is totally depleted to the point that those that can will depart at an even more rapid rate. This will accelerate our economic fall into further lost opportunity and even wide spread poverty.
Why? Well because We taxpayers lack affordability to continue paying for this "Protected Union Utopia" Legacy Liberal largeness. Yes, at the expense of reduce opportunity for the future of RI families, small businesses and taxpayers. Today we do not have money for our responsibilities re social programs, education, bridges and highways etc.
Today even More of Our children must leave RI to find jobs opportunities.
Again - How can we fix this unacceptable situation and modify these defective mindsets that have allowed this to happen to RI? WE have no obligation to maintain a high cost "protected union utopia" in RI.
The GOP today "offer(s) greater promise for the future of RI,'' Please consider "a vote for CHANGE e.g. Republican candidates who will get Rhode Island back on track.'' Why? Because We must eliminate the passive aggressive entrenched behaviors, people, organizations and collective practices that have caused our state to under perform.
Today business as usual (the good old boy network) is lost opportunity for today and tomorrow. If we fail to reform this unworkable situation we have created a very harsh situation for our children and grand children while RI is relegated to almost a third world like economy.
Together we do still have the power to change this situation before it is to late!
Please go vote in November for the future of RI and your children and grandchildren.
WFH Middletown, RI
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