Later this afternoon the official results will be released, but union officials are optimistic based on the numbers they’ve seen so far that 13 state employee unions overwhelmingly approved an estimated $700 million concession package.
The concession package which includes a wage freeze and increases in health insurance premiums and co-pays for more than 45,000 state employees was negotiated by the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition and Gov. M. Jodi Rell last month.
The rank and file members of 13 unions voted over the last several weeks on the agreement, which avoids layoffs for two years.
CSEA/SEIU 2001 spokesman Matt O’Connor said this morning that the vote tally isn’t final, but that he’s “optimistic” about its passage. In order to pass 12 of the 13 unions would have to ratify the agreement. Rell’s administration has said job security provisions won’t be extended to any of the 31 bargaining groups that votes against the agreement.
The official tally will be released at noon today. Click here to read about the details of the package.
