(California) Legislature OKs six state worker contracts

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

(05-16) 15:38 PDT Sacramento --

The state Assembly approved six contracts covering more than 50,000 state workers Monday on a largely party line vote, ending a debate over whether Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown went far enough in seeking concessions from government employees, in particular the powerful prison guards union.

SB151, which would enshrine the contracts into state law, passed 54-17, with two Republicans voting yes, and now heads to Brown's desk for his signature. Overall, the six contracts - covering workers in prisons, scientists, engineers and others - would, among other things, do away with imposed furloughs, increase state employees' pension contributions and temporarily cut pay for a year before giving top earners a raise in 2013. Former Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger negotiated the same terms with other public worker unions last fall, and lawmakers approved those contracts.

The agreements will save the state about $179 million next fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. But that figure is far less than the $308 million assumed in the 2011-12 budget approved by lawmakers in March. Those savings will disappear by 2012-13, the analyst said, when costs will begin to climb once again.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/16/BAS91JGR5F.DTL