Union Rejects Paterson's Offer, Layoffs May Be Ahead

The Civil Service Employees Association, the state's largest union, rejected Governor Paterson's offer of smaller raises and a two-year reprieve on layoffs, raising the possibility that thousands of jobs may be eliminated. Paterson had warned that without union concessions, given the state's huge budget deficit, he would have to lay off almost 9,000 state employees. But CSEA spokesman Stephen Madarasz said, "If we open one contract, what's to stop every other employer to say, 'We want to reopen the contract'? You set a precedent. You can never again do good-faith bargaining. It's a matter of principle as well as practicality." Paterson spokesman Errol Cockfield told the AP, "They have rejected every single proposal that we put forward to prevent job losses among their ranks. Nonetheless, the governor is still committed to finding a resolution."