Connecticut Workers Approve Contract They Had Rejected

HARTFORD — Two months after Connecticut workers rejected an agreement meant to save $1.6 billion over two years, union leaders said on Thursday that they had accepted the same deal, bowing to the threat of layoffs in a year full of battles between unions and state governments.

After the June vote, unions representing 45,000 state workers changed the voting rules to make approval more likely. But with 3,000 layoff notices already sent out and 2,000 or more still possible, all 14 unions that have completed a new vote have approved the deal, officials said, meaning it would have passed even under the old rules.

The agreement includes a two-year wage freeze and concessions on health care and pension benefits. In exchange, the unions secured a four-year no-layoff clause and a promise that the state would not demand unpaid furloughs. The changes are expected to save about $1.6 billion over two years and $21.5 billion over 20. Pension and compensation packages for workers hired after July 1 will be reduced even further, and will not include the “longevity pay” that had rewarded workers for staying on the job.

The votes played out against a now-familiar backdrop: a state government under fiscal stress, pushback against public-employee unions, and an economy struggling to create jobs.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/19/nyregion/connecticut-workers-approve-contract-they-had-rejected.html