Tuesday, September 22, 2009

State deciding which jobs to cut

Just one day after negotiations broke down between state workers and the administration, the governor's staff began deciding which jobs to cut. Administration Secretary Neale Lunderville estimates 200 to 300 jobs will be eliminated, half of them through layoffs. Governor Douglas said he's disappointed over the union's rejection of the administration's offer of no more layoffs in fiscal year 2010 while requiring a commitment of $10 million in savings in each of the next two fiscal years. The union's director says the group proposed giving up dental coverage and other benefits for $5 million in savings over the next two fiscal years.