AB 88, the SEIU Local 1000 contract bill that the union, Senate President Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass had hoped to push through the Legislature last week, didn't get off the Senate floor.
The bill needs a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the Legislature to get to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. The legislation mirrors an earlier bill that died in the Assembly that would cut the number of furlough days for covered employees from the current three days per month ordered by the governor to one day.
The administration hasn't talked specifically about this bill, but officials speaking for Schwarzenegger have said anything that trims the number of furlough days won't get executive approval, even though the governor's representatives negotiated the deal in February.
As we pointed out last week in this post, most of the 95,000 state workers represented by the local have already taken one more furlough day than the tentative agreement requires.
The measure is now on reconsideration, which means the Senate could take it up again when the Legislature reconvenes.
We have calls in to Local 1000 and Sen. Steinberg's office to get more details about their next moves. Watch The State Worker for more contract news as we gather it.
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