Albany, NY – Legislature has approved unprecedented furloughs for state workers to contend with the state’s fiscal crisis.
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Democratic Gov. David Paterson forced the vote on an emergency spending bill that includes the one-day-a-week furloughs for about 100,000 state workers, meant to save $30 million a week.
The Senate and Assembly majorities oppose furloughs and called the action illegal, but they had to vote for them because the furloughs couldn’t be separated from the spending bill. Rejecting the measure would have shut down state government.
The workers’ unions have so far refused requests by the Paterson administration for lag pay and for suspending their raises for a year to—as Paterson puts it—share in the sacrifice of all New Yorkers in the recession.
I don’t believe this will stand. The state will end up paying in full and not get the man hours. A bill can’t supercede contracts which discuss salary and work schedule. This can only ultimately affect the per diem workers.
For all of you who think this is a good idea—you won’t think it’s such a good idea when you have to wait longer at Motor Vehicles or wait longer to get Medicaid reimbursement. Better that the political appointees, as well as the governor, do without 20% of their weekly salaries, not some low-level clerk making $26,000 a year who has no say in how the budget is passed!!
Why don’t they simply fire the workers who refuse to cooperate in helping the State solve its budgetary problem. Why is this so difficult to understand. There is no more money to pay the workers. They can either take a furlough or they will have to terminate many employees.
Mr. Paterson.
How about 6 days off and work only one day. It will fix all problems.
Has anyone ever noticed how hard govt employees work and even most union workers, all we need is some tougher managment and the state city fedral etc will all save millions.
I was watching how the DOT was paving my street there were 20 guys out there 2 gys were working the rest were either sitting on a truck, eating, reading newspaper and standing around this went on for at least the 2 hours I observed (was home sick that day)
I’m a retired State employee who worked hard even coming in early every morning and working Sundays with no extra pay. Those that do little or nothing are the exception in NYState government. The Senate and Assembly could save millions by ending contracts with consultants and ending member items that paid for the Cheese museum and the Jello Museum both in Upstate New York.
For all of you HATERS, just remember there are thousands of frum people that work for the State.
Welcome back to Fun City, soon we will have the good old days of the 60’s and 70’s, complete with the crime, racial tensions, pollution, and lousy politicians.
Are the assembly members, senators and governor also losing a day of pay a week?
how about getting rid of most of the state vehicles , imagine that savings. the actual vehicle itself, the insurance, maintenance and gas and tolls and for some, even a driver.
let them all go to work and meetings by public transportation.
there are lots of bike lanes out there too.
feel free to use them.
There are many frum yidden that are out of jobs completely.
I wish all other companies would do the same thing – share the job with your fellow worker so he/she can remain employed at lease part time