By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-987948.mp3
Albany, NY – Now that the Public Employees Federation has rejected a five-year deal --- 35-hundred New York jobs may hinge on a re-vote. WAMC's Dave Lucas reports.
Over the summer Governor Andrew Cuomo warned that he would lay off up to 98-hundred state workers if unions didn't make $450 million in concessions for this fiscal year. Contracts for more than a dozen state-worker unions expired April 1. The State's largest union, CSEA accepted Cuomo's offer. The second-largest union, PEF, has not.
Tuesday's vote tally: 19,629 against and 16,906 in favor of the offer. PEF President Ken Brynien defends the vote: Brynien is demanding Governor Andrew Cuomo's return to the bargaining table. Brynien notes that the mail ballot vote represents one of the highest turnouts he has seen. The Governor is urging the union to reconsider the vote. PEF spokeswoman Darcy Wells says 56,000 union members cannot vote twice on the same deal.
While Governor Cuomo waits for word on a re-vote, others are wondering what impact the layoffs, if they do come, will have on upstate New York... Dan Moran with NextAct of Colonie says the news has already sent ripples through the regional job market. Speaking with David Guistina on Morning Edition, WAMC's political observer Dr. Alan Chartock believes Cuomo will go ahead with the layoffs.
No word yet from PEF as to what the union's next move will be...