Who ya gonna call?

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Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs

Senator Rosen (R) Chairs the powerful appropriations committee. If it passes there it lives, if it gets changed there it is changed. It is very rare that anything can go far without the stamp of the chairman and the committee.


If you need to know who to reach, reach out to these committee members. It will be more than the governor is doing according to some sources. The Republican Senators and Representatives are growing more and more tired of the my way or the highway form of government. Let them know what is bad about this budget, what hurts, what can be fixed.

I think this is the complete list. I don't think many members of the appropriations committee realize that the Governor's bill would prevent State Employees from offering any concessions to offset any reductions in pensions or benefits.

The only thing he is allowing concessions on is towards Merit raises or Longevity. If you have Longevity payments now he is proposing to take it away again. This is as much as a 2% cut to many employees. A 2% cut, with a 2% increase in pension payments, and who knows what kind of take aways he plans in the current contract negotiations.

State Employees know where the waste is hiding and it is not in the pensions we have coming. The pensions are deferred compensation, payment in the future for less pay today. We paid for the pensions, we will pay for the pensions. Ask the members of the appropriations committee to negotiate directly with us, we are tax payers too.

Our kids, State services, the elderly, and the trust the citizens in Maine should be able to have in their government is at stake.  

Late Edit: 
 I sent the following letter to all members of the appropriations committee. I look forward to their answers. (Full Disclosure: I edited one spelling error)

I will keep it short.

Thank you for the work you do for the Citizens of Maine. I know what we pay you, and it is not enough.

Why does the governor’s budget specifically ban State Employees from offering pay or benefit concessions to offset the budget? Did you know that?

Senator Rosen said that according to his information the 20 year average C.O.L.A. to State Employees was 2.85% and reflected the inflation rate.

Why would the pension plan be permanently prevented from going over 2% if not an attempt to punish (Union) retirees?

Why are there NO representatives on the committee to study the closure of Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center except for those with a vested profit motive for closing the institute?

Why can representatives receive a State Pension and a State paycheck, while other employees may not? By extending that to current employees at this time, the State could provide a ZERO cost retirement incentive and allow the State to hire employees with many years of experience at huge savings.

Confidential employees, like the Governor's daughter pay ZERO towards their pensions. Isn't that an unfunded liability?

Most State Employees will have their Social Security cut by up to 70% regardless of how small their pension is.

Why has the governor refused to meet with any Union Representatives?

Thank you for your time,

I look forward to your response.

BREAKING HEADLINE!!!

Check the comments section for breaking news on the budget. The Pension system is much better than reports have shown. The trustees are making a tremendous return. Click here.

Senator Richard W. Rosen (R-Hancock), Chair

rrosen113@aol.com

Home Tel: 469-3779/ Cell: 944-5091

Senator Roger J. Katz (R-Kennebec)

RKatz@lipmankatzmckee.com

Home Tel: 622-9921/ Cell: 485-2394

Senator Dawn Hill (D-York)

SenDawn.Hill@Legislature.Maine.Gov

Home Tel: 337-3689

Representative Patrick S. A. Flood (R-Winthrop), Chair

patricksaflood@roadrunner.com, RepPatrick.Flood@legislature.maine.gov

Home Tel: 395-4915

Representative Tom J. Winsor (R-Norway)

twinsor@megalink.net, RepTom.Winsor@legislature.maine.gov

Home Tel: 527-2233

Representative Kathleen D. Chase (R-Wells)

kathydhchase@hotmail.com, RepKathleen.Chase@legislature.maine.gov

Home Tel: 646-2118/ Cell: 468-9747

Representative Tyler Clark (R-Easton)

tyleraclark@msn.com, RepTyler.Clark@legislature.maine.gov

Home Tel: 488-2633/ Cell: 227-6971

Representative Kenneth Wade Fredette (R-Newport)

fredlaw@myfairpoint.net, kenneth.fredette@post.harvard.edu

Home Tel: 368-4242

Representative Dennis L. Keschl (R-Belgrade)

keschl@yahoo.com, RepDennis.Keschl@legislature.maine.gov

Home Tel: 495-2973 / Cell: 441-3701

Representative Margaret R. Rotundo (D-Lewiston)*

mrotundo@bates.edu

Home Tel: 784-3259

Representative John L. Martin (D-Eagle Lake)

RepJohn.Martin@legislature.maine.gov

Home Tel: 444-5556

Representative David C. Webster (D-Freeport)

dcwebster@comcast.net, RepDavid.Webster@legislature.maine.gov

Home Tel: 865-4311

Representative Sara R. Stevens (D-Bangor)

RepSara.Stevens@legislature.maine.gov

Home Tel: 942-8900

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In Germany, they came for the Trade Unionists first.

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by: NarsBars Sat Feb 26, 2011 at 17:05:00 PM EST

Today in Augusta there was a Rally to support the Wisconsin Unions. Historical note: In Germany prior to the start of WWII one of the first groups to be arrested, or killed or jailed, before even the Jews, were the trade Unionists. This has nothing to do with Nazism, this is just a comparison to how Unions are viewed by an authoritarian state. The war on labor is now global, not local. I arrived an hour or more early hoping to meet up with friends, perhaps seeking support in a group. At the beginning I was parked in the wrong spot and it looked as if there were many, many, Tea Party protesters showing up and I didn't see a Union bumper sticker in the crowd. I arrived early, afraid that there could a huge crowd of Tea Party members and a few lonely Union supporters in the cold Maine winter. Leaving my eleven year old Escort, I nearly took off my SEIU hat to walk past the pile of angry people and elderly codgers old enough to have their Social Security and their Medicare, but squared my hat, and walked up the hill. It was like walking towards a sun rise. As I came over the hill I saw like yellow clouds blocking the sun, a few Tea Party flags and members, maybe a hundred. I am no crowd estimator but in moments I found how small the crowd really was. Give em credit, the Koch brothers have bought them very nice flags. Then further into the light, I saw tens, and then hundreds and hundreds of our fellow Mainers, Union members, private citizens not a part of any Union and all around me the crowd kept streaming in. Unlike the Tea Party they were smiling, not hating. We sang, we had our own signs, made from the heart, we had solidarity! I especially liked "Little beards against LePage" The bad news is I sang too, but at least I was drowned out by the hundreds of proud tax paying citizens there to support Wisconsin, to support labor in Maine, and YES to support Maine State employees. The speakers were great, they spoke about the need for us to all support each other or be torn apart one at a time. The messages were all positive, no hate for Republicans, just a demand that we be heard, that we be a part of the solution. Several Democratic representatives were there, speaking in no uncertain terms. Yes, the economy is bad but it is no reason to break decades of promises, to steal bread, medicine, and heating oil, from retirees, while refusing to bargain over what can be done. (The LePage budget would make it illegal for State Employees to offer concessions to keep their pensions). Yes, would make concessions illegal.   Our Democratic representatives said clearly they knew that this was not a budget issue, that this is no less than an attack on all labor, an attempt to break all Unions across the country and end the rights of all employees to have a say in their working conditions. I offered one of the representatives the first free hotel room in Massachusetts. I told her,  "Lord of the Rings" allusion to riding out to face the foes regardless of the odds had grabbed me by the heart. All around me brothers and sisters chimed in, offering more support and more free hotel rooms. It can happen but only if they have our backing. This is a fight for life, a fight for all labor, not just an MSEA issue. Republican or Democrat the legislature must hear from us. The Republicans don't like a governor who is trying to order them around, it appears there will be a 2/3 budget. They want Democratic buy in to the budget, we must back up our reps and let the Rs know we will vote. I know many State Employees will be there on the 3rd and the 4th but we need Union members, moms and dads that want good teachers, not lowest bid for profit schools, to be there for the teachers on the 5th. We will be there for each other. There were sad moments too, looking up the hill to see the few Tea Party members, engaged in Democratic action, but so sadly misinformed, their movement stolen and used by the corporation agenda to make them fight their neighbors, to hate their neighbors, forgetting that they they have been used, and already forgotten and ridiculed by those they helped elect. Don't make the mistake of thinking the Tea Party is all negative. They are Mainers too but their energy is being transformed to hate, their movement stolen by a few for the benefit of a few. The Tea Party ideals have been perverted to serve power, and laughed at by those who will never have enough until everyone else has nothing. Stay home if you must, if you are taking care of family, or sick, but try to be part of history, this may not be the best chance you ever missed, this may be your last chance. I will take vacation, I will take unpaid time off. What I will not do is to let someone else do this for me. I will be part of this, win lose or draw. I will stand with my brothers and sisters and know that we have done everything possible. In solidarity, I hope to see you there. Narsbars

I want to thank Gerald at Dirigoblue for being an inspiration. I wish I had ten percent of his talent and professional skills. Please add Dirigoblue to your regular reading.

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Where is Obama hiding?

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     He dropped single payer, gave in before the fight started. But now in Wisconsin will we see his real face or his back side as he runs from the Union support he needs to win in 2012?

The Republicans want to put labor on the long march and make sure there are few survivors. Look at Maine, where all the parts of the Wisconsin budget are in place, but disguised as separate bills,  Wisconsin. Oklahoma, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, our Union was made great by Unions. Where is the guy we elected? The guy we brought to the dance doesn't want to dance with those that brung him..

There is amazing  courage being shown by the Wisconsin Democratic senators, and after Walker's lying plan to pretend to negotiate was exposed as a trick, they are still taking immense criticism by the Koch funded machine.

Some or all of them could face a recall election funded by out of state money but they are standing up for the people that elected them, not for Koch who wants to buy the Wisconsin power plants for a dollar each.

They may lose, in the end they could lose their seats. But these guys are going to look the enemy in the eyes, they are not going down with a bayonet in the back.

What's his name, the U.S. President is not leading, he is not following, he is hiding in the Whitehouse.

Union members gave hundreds of millions of dollars, millions of volunteer hours, and possibly the winning votes to Obama in 2008.

Is this the President's thank you to labor, cowardice, flip flopping, fence riding, triangulation?

Wisconsin is critical to Obama's campaign for 2012. He will face a far greater challenge if Unon members across the country feel betrayed, feel there is no hope for change.

He can't win if his base can't trust him. That is the purely political angle, sad but true.

Politics is a tough game. A politician must work to please everyone, but Obama must realize he will never please the rabid right even if he can cause it to rain money and tilt the country so all immigrants slide downhill to Mexico.

There is a time to stop being an intellectual and show some guts. We had his back now we need him to have ours.
This is his time to back us, not wait to see how it turns out and then claim victory no matter who wins.
If we lose we will know who helped us lose.

The whole country will be justified in mistrusting a man who will throw his strongest, most loyal supporters overboard. If he will abandon them, what would he do to anyone else?


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Indiana Official: "Use Live Ammunition" Against Wisconsin Protesters

FROM Mother Jones: Right Wing Hate For Unions "Use Live Ammunition"

 

Indiana Official: "Use Live Ammunition" Against Wisconsin Protesters

Twitter.

A conservative deputy AG let his emotions get out of hand. It wasn't the first time.

— By Adam Weinstein

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Broken Promises, Tax Increases, Three Monkeys

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I have been a State employee for 20 years and during that time, I've been one of those evil union "thugs" or activists...you know the type...we protect other workers, we speak to power, we try to get the other side to understand our side...and we figure out what's most important to our members. Yes, our local members. I was elected at my workplace to represent workers' best interests; I served on negotiating committees, as a shop steward, charities, and scholarship committees.




During my 20 years, there were good employees, bad employees, mostly good, there were hard financial times when for years there were no raises even when there were raises in the private sector. But I knew that I had been given a promise of security when I could no longer work. I had a pension and health care in my future, but I had to keep my word and deliver the best work I knew how for the citizens of Maine.

As I said, I was an activist and I knew that in many cases management held that against me, but I never allowed it to justify poor work or slacking off. I had given my word not to my boss, not to my Union, but to the citizens of Maine.

Later in my career, I transferred, to an office 75 miles away because I wanted more responsibility and wanted a change of pace. I knew I was doing my job, my department and my promotions let me know I was doing the work I had promised to do as a State employee. State employees have no respect for anyone that wants to hide and just quietly wait for retirement. If you will not carry the load you should leave, but everyone I know carries their load, they promised they would.

As a Union activist, I was a member of the teams that negotiated contracts with no raises. The State's position was always that there was not enough money for raises and benefits. The employees always chose to protect their future and gave up cash for a promise from the State that they would be secure when they retired. Our membership trusted us and trusted our government when we chose to give up cash for the promise of future benefits.

We had bargained retirement at 60 years of age, then with no bargaining the age was moved to 62, now the governor plans to move it to 65 again with no bargaining. The retirement age had been bargained for and given in fair dealing in compensation for the low wage scales in Maine, lower than the private sector, as just proven again by a Maine State Gov. sponsored survey.

The pension system has always received the State Employee contribution but has been abused by the legislature again and again as an easy out to solve problems or to give political pay backs.

I have worked hard for 20 years, I adopted three children through DHHS, I gave up pay raises, agreed to work another two years to earn my pension, my health care, my security when I retired. I paid nearly 7% of my pay for 20 years so far, all to secure my pension. And now? I'm told that I'M THE PROBLEM.

Senator Rosen head of the appropriations committee said he feels it is necessary to break pension promises. Senator Rosen said the average rate of inflation over the last 20 years has been 2.85%, yet feels that the 2% cap on pensions will not cause pensions to shrink every year. In Reality the Senator’s own figures guarantee a minimum cut of 8.5% over ten years assuming no inflation over 2%, which the Senator has already said he knows is a false assumption. Including the current planned three-year freeze on cost of living adjustments, an employee retiring today will see over a 14% cut in their pensions over the next 10 years. That is nearly a thousand dollars a year cut for retired Mainers.

PO Box 877
Bucksport, ME 04416
Phone: (207) 469-3779
Email: Sen. Richard Rosen [Send email to Sen. Richard Rosen]

When the Legislature is in session, you can leave a message for Sen. Richard Rosen by calling the State Senate Message Phone: (800) 423-6900 or by calling the office at: (207) 287-1505.


State retirees average pension is $19,000, and these figures include those pensions based on the "6 figure salaries" Governor LePage claimed were too low to get good help. If he was right, we know we have far from the best people running our State agencies, maybe the 3rd, 4th, or 10th choice. I can just see the conversation in the Gov’s office “Have you called any temp agencies?”

Many State employees may be forced to retire by the end of June, but I can see many that will be forced to wait it out until they are 65, thereby maintaining the highest paid employees and leaving no room for new employees to find a career. I need to feed my family, but maybe I don’t have to fear losing my home or being unable to feed my family or dying without health care. Early in the LePage campaign, the Governor said the Mardens employees did not need a union because they were treated like family.

After all, the governor hired many Mardens employees, and he did hire his daughter. She lives at the taxpayer’s expense in the Blaine house, on my dime and yours. I wonder if he will offer the same free room and board to the rest of his “family”?

If you earn a State Pension, waiting for Social Security to kick in won't help. If a State employee has a pension coming S.S. is reduced by up to 2/3 before you get the check. If you try to get a second job S.S. computes how much to take away from your check against whatever you have left. I will have $175.00 coming, then I will pay $125.00 towards Medicare. It will be impossible for me and for many employees that retire after June to afford health care, but the State is playing numbers games again claiming the savings by not paying for my health care. You see, if I don’t have a health care plan I can qualify for Medicare and shift the cost to the Federal government, and the State. Would you let your family go without care if you could do anything to help them?

But State Employee Pensions are so GENEROUS!

My job is considered one of the better paying jobs, so let me tell you about my plans for retirement.

If I retire, my pension will be about $20,000 at age 62. $20,000 before taxes. I paid taxes on that pension money when I earned it. I will pay taxes on it again when I receive it. If I retire after July 1 of this year, the governor would have me pay all of my own health care for the next three years, leaving me with $13,000 before taxes. If I want to continue to pay for my wife and 13 year old daughter, I will pay an additional $8000 a year, leaving me with $5,000 before taxes.

Since I can’t pay for family health care and live, I won't have it, who needs it if you can’t eat?
After taxes My family can plan on living on somewhere around $11,000 a year after taxes. I sure hope my room at the Blaine house comes with free food.


Obviously I won't be able to pay for health care but at $20,000 a year before taxes I will qualify for food stamps, maybe heating assistance and other State aid that will likely cost as much or more than leaving me with the pension and benefits promised, and paid for by me and my brothers and sisters.

The legislature is ignoring over ONE BILLION DOLLARS, earned by the pension system in the last year, while planning to increase spending in the current budget by $300,000,000 more than the hated Democrats.

 The Gov. wants to increase pension contributions by state employees, while at the same time decreasing the State share, accomplishing nothing. The Gov. wants the budget law to make it illegal for State Employees to even negotiate over the pension and health care provisions.


 The whole plan is not intended to help the budget; it is a creation of people like Scott Fish former editor of AMG whose long hatred of Unions made his reputation. The intent of the whole package is not reform, but revenge, the idea of crippling, starving, and punishing your neighbors, because they joined a union and along with 61% of other Mainers did not vote for the Governor. That is the real driving force behind this legislation.

Gov. LePage, Do unto others as you would have done unto those friends and member of your family that you hired. Let us negotiate to work towards a responsible budget. If these tough times require tough decisions, maybe negotiations with your employees is your first tough step.


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Taxing Benefits Instead Of Millionaires?

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Harry Reid,

A hero or a danger to Union benefits?  Is the Senate planning on taxing Union health care plans and letting Wall Street Millionaires off the hook?

Read the rest of the story.

Democrats trying early for Union support

October 25, 2009

Several of the prospective Democratic candidates for governor may be coming to the MSEASEIU convention next week.

Candidates will come to the Samoset resort not just to court the 8,500-dues paying members of MSEASEIU that are State employees.

They are trying to reach the large block of voters that are in other MSEASEIU locals, and the estimated 40 to 50 thousand voters that are family and friends of Union members. 

 Even though the primaries and then the “real” elections are months away, Politicians know Union members vote. 

Along with the candidates for governor several candidates for the house and the Senate are expected also. This was not a closed affair and any candidate from any party was welcome to speak.

What Are State Employees And MSEA-SEIU Members Doing About The Economy?

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Union Employees in Maine live in Maine, pay taxes in Maine, and care about Maine. Any attempt to separate Union Mainers from the rest of the State is only an excuse to lie, and to deny the benefits of a good job with respect to the rest of the State.



Governments and government employees, unlike the popular image, do have ideas, good ideas to save money, to serve the public in better faster ways.

How Many Candidates for MSEA Vice Pres Job?

As of today there are a possible five candidates for the MSEA Vice President position. Ginette Rivard the current V.P. is running for reelection. Penny Whitney-Asdourian and other unconfirmed candidates. The Stater will have all of the candidates that made the cut off of September 4.......BUT.....

SEIU gets raises, SEIU on strike?

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Weekend update, fun and the good news, bad news for SEIU State employee Union members. Don't forget the MSEA-SEIU contract votes will be counted on August 17.


Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the holodeck! This story comes from the DailyKos. The tech in this story wouldn't make Mr. Spock or Scotty sit down and cry, but until then this is the best around. Like the Holodeck? follow the link. The tech is great but the real reason to include it here is to blow a hole in the right wing idea that liberals are all about tax and spend. Read the quote after the link and see how real liberals think we should dig our way out of this hole in the ground economy.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/6/762702/-Ladies-and-Gentlemen,-I-give-you-the-holodeck.

America should get on that, because that is what America does best. We see the world and all of its ideas and technology and recombine it into fantastical products that we create with our industrial might and sell around the world.

Or we use to, before we became a nation dependent on financial services to generate wealth.

I say we got back to selling the world boxes labeled, "Made in the USA."

Especially if we start slinging holodecks.

California

SEIU 1000 State workers vote "Yes"

Updated August 3
SEIU members approve strike authorization by 74 percent margin; Union members step up pressure on governor to ratify their contract

By an overwhelming majority, SEIU Local 1000 state workers have shown their outrage at the governor and his attacks on state employees and the services they provide. In votes from state offices throughout California, 74 percent authorized their union officers to call job actions up to and including a strike if necessary in order to ensure that the contract signed with the governor's representatives in February is passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"This is about our contract," SEIU President Yvonne Walker said Saturday. "Whether it is through litigation, negotiations or any other actions that are necessary, we're in this for the long-haul to right this wrong to our members. We negotiated in good faith, we have offered cost-saving solutions, and we need our contract to be ratified."

SEIU 1000 in a cost savings program targeted as saving jobs, and saving tax dollars found $340 million dollars through a combination of cutting wasteful outsourcing of jobs and more efficient work rules. The Union is currently subject to three furlough days a month equaling a 15% pay cut while the governor backpedals and refuses to live up to his word and sign the contract that he agreed to. Like the politicians in so many states hurting State workers as a political move comes before saving the citizens money.

Local 503 Oregon

SEIU 503 signs tentative agreement, gets over 6% in raises over two years.

After eight and a half months of bargaining a new contract, a tentative agreement affecting nearly 18,000 employees was agreed on. The new contract, if approved, will run until June 30, 2011 Service Employees International Union local 503 reached a tentative agreement with the State of Oregon that gives cost of living wage increases. Over the next two years, wages will increase 6.2 percent.

Does this quote sound familiar?

“Our cost of living has been behind the private sector for years now,” says Randy Davis, a mental health therapist at Oregon State Hospital.

The new contract, will go to the bargaining committee on August 15 and if passed will be sent to the membership for a vote.
A rare success story, although not without some losses. 503 protected fully paid family medical coverage. The state will pay for premium cost increases up to 5% in each year. Increases between 5% and 10% will be paid partly by the State and partly from insurance reserve funds. The state subsidy for part-time employees' health insurance will increase so that part timers" premium costs don't go up.

The contract contains a one year step freeze from 9/1/09 to 8/31/10. All bargaining unit members will get at least one step raise during the contract. There will be no cost of living raises during the contract. Ten, twelve, of fourteen furlough days over the next two years.

The State started with a demand for 24 unpaid days off and now the days off will count as time worked for accruals and insurance A number of non-economic changes will benefit members, including a classification study for many positions that must be finished in time to bargain salary rates in 2011 and an extra year of recall rights for laid-off workers.



Congratulations Local 503!

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Is Baldacci planning lay offs?

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Is Baldacci preparing for hundreds of lay offs?

Friday, July 24, 2009

Rumors are flying. Is Governor Baldacci preparing plans to lay off possibly hundreds of state workers? Rumors are that Baldacci has ordered state department heads to prepare plans for layoffs, while he remains closed mouthed.

At the same time contract negotiations over a new contract are reaching a conclusion. The negotiations, started last year have been fouled by a legislature that decided to ignore collective bargaining when they refused to negotiate cuts. The contract Tentative Agreement is going to a vote of the Union Contract Action Team on Monday the 27^th. State Employees have tried to be a part of the process for many months both through suggestions for real cost savings and political action.

Millions of dollars of cost savings ideas put forward by State Employees have been ignored while the State refused to allow any Union involvement in government oversight of waste and fraud, claiming the appropriations committee could do it all. The fear in the politician’s eyes is clear every time a State Employee says “We know where the waste is!”

MSEA reached out to the State last year and asked to be part of any discussions around employee pay cuts or benefit reductions. MSEA members know times are tough, we pay taxes, and we offered to save the State tax payer money. Every time we offered to point out the waste, a politician would say no thank you.

The ugly refusal of the legislature to respect collective bargaining has many employees demanding legal action be taken against the State for bargaining in bad faith.

State Employees have accused the governor and the legislature of undermining the negotiations and disrespecting all state employees and all taxpayers when they refused to allow citizens to be part of their so called savings committee.

The continuing refusal by the State to bargain in good faith is a common topic of discussion during Union discussions. It has been a constant disappointment that the Governor and the legislature continue to intimidate workers with the layoff threat. There are responsible solutions to be had, but the State has so far refused to listen to ideas that could save Maine tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. State Employees know where the waste is, where the political favors are being handed out at the expense of the taxpayer. Unlike the legislature, State Employees are committed to public service, not a political agenda.

The two sides have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, but the Union has refused to recognize shut down days in formal language as there were never any talks with the Unions only a midnight deal in the appropriations committee with no Union input.

MSEA-SEIU, which represents most state employees, tried to offer savings in order to bargain a guarantee there would be no future layoffs. The combination of attrition and retirement incentives was refused mostly by the right in a knee jerk refusal to offer any benefit to any State Employee, no matter the savings to the taxpayers of Maine.

The union proposed retirement incentives for cost savings, but the State said the retirement ideas would cost the state millions of dollars. The Union offered to be part of a cost savings committee and we were told not to let the door hit us on the way out.

The state's biennial budget for 2009-2011 plans for about 200 retirements during the July retirement incentive period and allows the Union to negotiate for any “excess” personal savings the Union can identify. This may be the reason the appropriations committee refused to allow State Employees on the savings commission as they are certain to want to hide any monies found and protect their favored private contractors regardless of the cost to the state budget. State Employees, being taxpayers too would have been too likely to publicize the wasteful contracts to political allies and campaign supporters.

The union's bargaining committee meets Monday to discuss ratification of the proposed contract and whether to send it out for a vote of the membership or to send the negotiations team back to the table. If the contract is sent back to the table the State is almost certain to call an impasse which would result in months of stalemated talks with no contract in place. The legislature found a way around our contract by making the law that came in to effect at the end of the last contract.

If we have a new contract in place it will be much, much harder to bypass an existing contract. Having a contract in place may very well be the least bad of a series of bad choices. Employees continue to be covered by the provisions of the old contract, which expired June 30 and a contract extension that runs until the end of August. Shut down days have already been implemented along with cuts in longevity pay due to the legislative refusal to bargain and instead rely on brute force.

Union members are of many opinions about the best course of action. Stress and tension have been building for months and the latest announcement of an “at least” $80,000,000.00 million dollar budget gap has only added to the strain.

---

It is time to look at some of the services being done by contractors that could be done by state workers at a lower cost. This would make it a lot easier to cut in the future without all the politics. The State is cutting back, why should private industry be any different?

Some State jobs are 100% federally-funded and the State still wants to cut the jobs and lose the funds that come with those jobs. The right wing doesn’t care about savings. They only want to reduce head count regardless of the cost. Many state employees are partially or fully funded by federal funds.

Stop the welfare, save the budget. How about instead of handing the money out with no question we use some state employees to investigate families collecting when complaints are made. Currently State Employees are told “There is no money for enforcement” or “We would lose Federal dollars”. Get it straight! State Employees don’t hate welfare but they do hate welfare cheats!

Get a job with Wal-Mart and see how long you last without a union. Unions don’t support poor work standards. If you let a company go out of business, you are out of a job. If it wasn't for the threat of unionization wages would be far lower than they are now. State Workers don’t think they should be immune to the economy but if we have taken cuts instead of lay offs then asking for no more lay offs is only fair.

Why are cleaners being laid off and during a hiring freeze while new management positions are created in the budget at $75,000 a year or better to start? Essential employees must stay home without pay while there are internal job postings for even more management. That is the real insult.

SSDD, Same Shit Different Day. Cut the programs that help people. Why does it always have to be the departments that help people that get cuts? We thought we had a Governor that supported state employees. He gave us a speech promising no furloughs, no unpaid days while he was in office. Lying S.O.B.!

State employees have almost gotten used to being hated.It makes the economy of knuckle dragging radio shows run. State Employees don’t make a fortune and when we were paid far, far, under the private sector we were laughed at as being too dumb to get a real job with real wages. The Staff has been going down for a decade and many employees are now doing the work of several employees.

We couldn't break a contract to pay AIG executives nearly half a Billion dollars in bonuses for destroying a company because the contract was sacred, yet the legislature can break our contract while trying to find out how to steal the health care and pensions we were promised for 30 years as if asking to be paid what you were promise is a crime.

Jesus hired three men at three different times yet paid them what they were promised, there should be some lesson there for the "moral majority".

The state budget is out of control because ME's politicians from both sides of the aisle refuse to produce a list of "essential services" and the real cost associated with those services. In many cases the service is unneeded or could be done cheaper by a State Employee. True costing is not something state employees are afraid of, it is something they are demanding. A true cost basis would cost some jobs but with the firing of wasteful contracting many more would open up.

Cuts should not be made on the basis of head count but on an honest review of costs and need for a particular service. If outsourcing a vital service can save money with out losing efficiency it must be considered. If a State Employee can do the job better and cheaper we should keep or hire a State Employee.

Cut employee pay and benefits and you will save temporarily save some money. You will also see the level of service drop because you will have lost a skilled work force while being unable to attract skilled replacement workers.

Services cost money, and if it costs $100.00 to fix a pot hole, then it costs a $100.00. If you pay less, you will get less, if you want less service and quality a politician will be happy to give you what you want.

The state should listen to suggestions of workers, not management, for cost-saving ideas.
In the worst economy since the Great Depressions, MSEA-SEIU members found cost savings ideas, instead of tax increases or reductions in services. Many on the right and some possible Democrat candidates for Governor were far more interested in publicity than saving Maine's budget.

Union Employees want to provide quality public services and protect the jobs of our co-workers. These are your neighbors who plow the roads, protect the public, and fix the roads.

It’s bullshit!! Every time I hear “6 people to lean on a shovel" it is really bull shit. Most of the shovel leaners are contractors that buy the same uniforms and paint their trucks the same color as State trucks so their waste will be blamed on State Employees. The employees don’t ask for five friends to help. Management sends five because the more people they manage the more pay they get. Everyone blames the employee. It's time to look at upper management.

Governor Baldacci didn’t even try to negotiate in good faith. He never offered State Employees the respect of even asking for their help. They sold us out to the Republican head hunters with no regard for the tax payers of Maine. "So what if it costs more!" Cutting State employees and paying more for the same services is always a good idea when you are looking for a consultant job when you leave the legislature.

A lot of consultants are former employees who retire, collect their retirement and then return to the same job in the same agency. The state pays them twice. Get rid of the double dipping mostly former managers if you really want to save $$$$.

Union workers want to help the public and save money. We are the public. We pay taxes. How about BMV? If you asked State Employees they might be willing to shift hours so the public could come in at 6 pm or at 6 am. The trouble is the politicians are afraid to ask State Employees for help. They are afraid we would say yes.

Some people hate Unions. OK, OK, but, state employees aren’t members of Tony Soprano's family. State Employees are taxpayers and neighbors and make our state run, these cuts will be devastating to them and to our state services. No one else in Maine has been asked to take thousands of dollars of tax increases in a single year.You don’t think the contractors will have to take less money do you?

With State Lay offs more employees get laid off than needed in order to give bragging rights to some politician while he or she ships the work out to a business partner or friend at an inflated price. The contract MSEA-SEIU may get now is not a good contract but the fault is not on the union. The fault is on the legislature that has wasted money for decades while raiding retirement funds and borrowing even in years of surplus.

Union members were not smoking dope and dreaming of pay increases and more benefits. We know this is a rough time and we expected to take a hit. All we ever asked is to be part of the process and to get the respect we deserve.

The state is expecting to save money by having state employees use their vehicles while never increasing the mileage paid. Employees don’t even get what the Feds have determined is the least it takes to run a car. They can’t afford to run the cars but we are supposed to carry the load.

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