A new study by the California state Senate says that furloughs are "costing the state money and further hurting the economy" and Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg called for immediate passage of the SEIU Local 1000 contract contract bill, AB 88. In a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steinberg wrote the current furlough policy has become a 'penny saved, a dollar lost' approach that can be corrected immediately. "A 5 percent pay cut is a sacrifice for a state employee; a 15 percent cut is punishment."
It's just only about federally-paid workers--the Schwarzenegger administration lost a court battle last week over furloughs for workers at the state's workers' compensation agency, which may include back pay with interest for furlough days the roughly 6,000 workers have already had.
Steinberg's letter and the study that accompanied it follow Local 1000's statewide campaign to press the governor stop breaking promises and urge Republican legislators to back AB 88. Steinberg also wants to reduce furlough days for employees represented by other unions.
Download the study and Steinberg's letter [PDF], and read story coverage from the Los Angeles Times and KQED Capitol Notes.
