P-4 Council Member Chris Sullivan Was One of Many Members at Risk After Receiving a 'Pink Slip' Who Urged a YES Vote by State Employees in August
On July 22, leaders of the unions in the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) reached a revised tentative agreement (TA) that protects their members from layoffs and preserves their benefits. This followed renewed discussions with the administration of Governor Dannel P. Malloy to find a path forward after a previous agreement failed to pass in June.
The revised TA reflected concerns raised by rank-and-file union members during and after the previous ratification process, including:
- Real job security -- protection from layoffs for 4 years & restoration of jobs cut;
- Preserved benefits -- extends health & pension plans for 11 years;
- Respect for workers' rights -- no restrictions to collective bargaining; &
- Membership input -- includes over 300 rank-and-file members' proposals.
Members of CSEA's State Division Councils voted on both the SEBAC and their individual bargaining unit-specific agreements the week of August 15. When the votes were counted on August 17, the SEBAC tentative agreement was ratified by an overwhelming 68% of participating members, with:
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2,349 members voting YES for the agreements; &
- 1,083 members voting NO against the agreements.
Individual bargaining unit tallies are being posted to their respective Council's main pages as well.
On August 18, union leaders announced that 14 of 15 unions had ratified the SEBAC agreement covering health and pension provisions. When the votes were tallied, overall support for the agreement was nearly 3 to 1, with
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26,161 members voting YES for the agreements; &
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9,620 members voting NO against the agreements.
Now that the contracts have been approved by the legislature, recently laid-off members are being returned and notices for those still on the job are being rescinded. We are focusing on the worker-recommended cost savings proposals the agreement's labor-management committees are designed to implement. At the same time, we are working to restore services slated for shut-down in the governor's alternative budget.
Blog entry on legislative approval of the agreements and rescinding layoffs (August 31)
Tally of CSEA revised SEBAC TA votes by Council (August 17)
Revised SEBAC 2011 Tentative Agreement with cover letter (July 27)
Leaflet on reasons for state workers to support an agreement (July 22)
Summary of differences in the revised tentative agreement (July 22)
Official SEBAC Bylaws (July 18)