Governor's counsel: OK'ing contract means more options
11:48 AM Thu, Jul 24, 2008 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE -- The governor's chief legal counsel, Kernan F. King, this morning said it would be in the best interest of the largest state employees union to ratify a new four-year deal. Council 94, which represents roughly one-third of the state's workforce, this afternoon will tabulate the results of separate ratification votes taken in recent days by its 24 local unions. If the majority votes in favor, the new contract would be accepted. If not, the contract would be rejected and the next step is less clear. "My own view would be that union's best option is to ratify this contract and that we have a whole range of options, including going back into dicussions to negotiate something different," King said at an unrelated event this morning. "The state has some options that it can take unilaterally, which would be interesting." King refused to say what those options might be, but he acknowledged that the governor's office has issued contract termination letters to all of the state unions, which essentially mean they're currently operating without contractual protections. "Basically, you don't have a contract in effect. What happens then?" King said. "If I were them, they have a predictable consequence by ratifying this agreement. If they don't ratify, they have unpredictability. It may not operate in their long term advantage. The state has some options." The union members finished voting last night. Council 94 is expected to announce the results of the election late this afternoon. The outcome is very much in question, as rank-and-file members have lobbied against the deal, which was negotiated by union leaders with the Carcieri administration, in recent weeks. King said he expects the deal to be ratified, but if it was rejected, he doesn't expect the governor's office to sweeten the deal if they return to the bargaining table. -- Steve Peoples, Journal State House Bureau "It would make everyone feel a little bit more militant," he said. "The governor, I would assume, would say, 'We're done with these guys, we've had 30 some meetings with these people, we've negotiated a deal, the state's in difficult financial circumstances, the United States economy is in trouble, what do they want?'" He continued: "I don't want to lay down a gauntlet of threats. I'm not the person -- I'm the lawyer, not the spokesperson for the governor. It would be inappropriate for me to say exactly what we could do. We do have some options for sure." 
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boy talk about threats lol and this guy is the head legal team. I wonder how much the state is paying him? Its every ones right to make a good working wage.
I wish the employees will say no just to see what those options are. and how much more it will cost the state to enact on them?
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what has the govenor and his staff given up after the last round of SALLARY increases y do thay still have blue cross what is there copay
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