Unions Go After Paterson In New Ad

Last week, the state's largest union rejected Governor Paterson's offer, raising the possibility he might make good on his threat to cut almost 9,000 jobs if unions didn't make concessions in contract negotiations. Now the NY Times reports on how the union is pressing forward: "They produced television commercials and newspaper ads with photos of Mr. Paterson sticking his fingers in his ears above the words 'Why aren’t you listening?' The president of one of the unions variously accused the governor last week of union busting, putting people’s lives in danger, and drug use." The unions were looking to drive Paterson's numbers down, but Paterson's approval ratings are already pretty much rock bottom, and the Times points out, "the ferocity of the attacks has only stiffened Mr. Paterson’s resolve." As for one union's claim that reopening the contract would "set a precedent," a Paterson spokesperson scoffed, "What is the precedent exactly? That every 80 years, when there’s a historic economic and fiscal crisis, the state work force might only get half its planned raise?”