Update: Union to fight Carcieri's health-care order
5:34 PM Thu, Jul 31, 2008 | Permalink
Email
 |
 |
Projo 7 to 7 News BlogTaking the news pulse of Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts, by Providence Journal and projo.com staff, from 7 to 7, every business day |
|
Get the 7 to 7 on your mobile at www.projo.com. Twitter: projo | RSS | Email alerts
« With R.I. jobs at stake, fight over destroyer ramps up |
Main
| Jury gets case of ACI guards accused of inmate abuse »
PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri has issued an executive order forcing members of unions who rejected a state employees contract proposal to follow health-care co-shares laid out in that plan. Council 94 officials are already vowing to fight the order, issued at mid-afternoon, saying they will go to court tomorrow to request an injunction. The governor's order comes just days after Council 94, the state's largest employees union, overwhelmingly rejected the plan, brokered in part by union leaders. "Because of their unwillingness to be a part of the solution, and knowing that I am duty bound both constitutionally and by statute to balance the budget, I am forced to take immediate and unilateral actions to fulfill my responsibilities," Carcieri said at a press conference to announce his order this afternoon. He called the option "far less severe" than the alternative of layoffs and shutdown days. Carcieri stopped short of a rumored plan to halt the practice of deducting union dues from Council 94 members' paychecks. He also elected not to force union officials who are regular state employees to return to their jobs and stop conducting union business on state time. But the governor said he reserves the right to take either action if the stalemate continues. Following this afternoon's press conference, Council 94 Executive Director Dennis R. Grilli denounced that characterization as a scare tactic that only makes a difficult situation worse. "Council 94 will not be bullied, coerced, or intimidated," Grilli said. The union plans to send its lawyers to court first thing tomorrow morning, asking a judge to put a stop the governor from imposing the changes on the members. Extra: Read the text of the governor's executive order. -- Cynthia Needham, Journal State House Bureau When Council 94 rejected the new contract last week, Carcieri announced he was done negotiating. Union leaders have since filed an unfair labor practice claim against the governor. Gilli said he's not sure if that suit will cover the latest complaints, or necessitate a separate filing. Carcieri meanwhile stressed that the executive order was not an attempt to penalize union members, many of who are among the lowest paid state employees. Rather, he said, the savings generated by the health care increases are necessary to help avoid a deficit. 
CommentsLeave a commentPlease be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish. |
Tags 
New comments
New photos
New posts
Projo blogs
Archives
You go Guv. Show the door to any of them that don't like it.
Report Abuse
Bravo Governor!! Not because you took a tough stance but because you are treating the union rank and file as they would be treated in the private sector. Times are tough for all! As far as the union leaders , last time I checked they were employed BY the state NOT by the union. If they are going to conduct union business let it be on their time NOT the state's time and dollar! Let them see how life is in the real world where the private sector employees live and work. If they don't like...should have accepted the deal fellas. Otherwise feel free to find another job somewhere else and actually get pain what you are worth be it more or (most likely) less.
Report Abuse
I love how the governor (yes the lower case "g" is meant to emphasize my disdain for this administration)disguises his ever present disdain for the working men and women of RI as his "constitutional duty" and "statutory obligation". Call it what it is, he just like many bhusiness executives, have no interest in the plight of those that work for them. They only care about lining their own pockets. As I said in a post to another article several days ago. Lets pay the general assembly and the governors administrative staff what they are really worth. You will then see a surplus in the state budget.
Report Abuse
It should be higher! This is still FAR less than what the average person in the private sector would have to pay.
Report Abuse
Good job Governor CARCIERI keep up the good work!
i hope on your list to check out whats going on in rhode island is pawtucket.like the bvcap program that tells you not to pay your bill so they will get shut off,and then they will help you,no wonder these people can afford cell phones,forget about
paying their utility bills bvcap will take care of that.and it helps if your spanish,otherwise you go to the back of the line.while i was there i asked why no pamplets were in english.and the girl who had her bluetooth phone in her ear was doing more talking on that then answering the business phone.she had no answer for my question.then when forgerty center was giving out secton 8 app,the 2 spanish girls were handing out 10 or more to one person,for other family members.
well as i recall my app,had you list everyone that was in the home.we were supposed to hear about the outcome in june,but now their saying sept.they never expected such a high turn out they gave out 7000 app!the people that really need help and have lived in pawt for years and are disabled will have to suffer,and ill just bet
a lot of these people dont even live in rhode island and ill bet a lot of them are illegals
with their phoney ids.well i guess it helps when you have illegals working at the ssi building and at the dmv!i dont want to make this a race issue,but i would like to know why people born in this country dont have these jobs,im sure a lot of americans can speak spainsh.sorry i got off track,and my spelling isnt that great but im writeing in the dark so , i can pay my electric bill every month,im not looking to get free hand outs,besides i dont know how to work the system like they do,and im also a honest person that doesnt commit fraud.
Report Abuse
Yes we have a great administrator in Governor Carcieri he ran Old Stone Bank into closing by rewarding management while bleeding the common worker. He comes from a management era that rewards management at the cost of the stock holders (the taxpayers) and the workers. The number of directors and executive directors have grown during his administration adding millions to the budget while he tries to take from the lowest to spread the cuts evenly across board and leave the old boys in their jobs till they reach retirement. At URI there were two directors for the physical plant now there are about 13. There were two directors for dining service now there are seven. And yes all the state workers are still there really doing the jobs that these directors are supervising just like it was before these director positions were created. And this scenario is repeated in various other agencies a bloated management, way too many chiefs thanks to our governor.
Report Abuse
Ahhh, Steve...the "blue collar working class hero" defense. Gotta love it...ya know, you really ought to read up on how much the union leadership is making, how much these state employees would be making if they were in the private sector and just how hard and expensive an education is. Then you can give us the violin song of the "disdain for the working class". How's this, none of those people are indentured servants, they can quit ANYTIME they want. Maybe if they got an education, went to "bhusiness" school, passed the bar exam, etc they wouldn't be so bitter at the rest of the world.
I hope he cans them all!
Report Abuse