The State Worker: Could Controller's furlough opposition thaw labor talks?

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The State Worker

Chronicling civil-service life for California state workers

January 22, 2009

Could Controller's furlough opposition thaw labor talks?

We spoke very briefly this afternoon to SEIU Local President Yvonne Walker shortly before she met with union negotiators preparing to reenter contract talks. Some excerpts of our telephone conversation:

So where are you?
I'm at negotiations Ground Zero, getting ready to meet with our bargaining team.

You sound upbeat.
I'm hoping that the state is ready to come forward and negotiate.

So what's changed?
Well, we've been trying to be part of the solution all along. But having the controller validate that furloughing isn't legal helps. Maybe now the administration is ready to sit down and have the hard conversation.

What's on the schedule?
We expect bargaining to go on through the weekend. We're hoping that they have the intestinal fortitude to keep on with negotiations.

And money will be part of the "hard conversation"?
It hasn't been so far, but it has to be (now).

What about furloughs?
That I don't know. Certainly you have to recognize it's not something we'd bring to the table, but we're not opposed to talking about it. People need to recognize that we're not just people who take from the general fund. We're taxpayers, too. We understand what's at stake.

So are you saying that holding the line in terms of pay would be considered a win, given the state's money troubles?
That would be good, wouldn't it?

What else do you think will come up in talks?
Everything is on the table. We can't come to a solution without everything being on the table.

IIMAGE: Yvonne Walker / Sacramento Bee

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