Battle lines drawn on gov’s pay cut

Updated 5:00 p.m., June 17
For the second time, the Legislature's Joint Budget Conference Committee rejected the governor’s plan to cut state workers’ pay by another five percent, following fierce lobbying  from Local 1000. 

But the fight is far from over. The conference committee’s vote is a nonbinding victory and Schwarzenegger is virtually certain to reintroduce his pay cut plan during  closed-door budget negotiations with the four leaders of the Legislature.
 
“The governor has already forced a 10 percent pay cut on state employees, now he needs to cut 10 percent of the state’s $34 billion in private vendor contracts,” Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker said.  “It’s time for the governor and his corporate supporters to begin giving back to help balance the budget by closing corporate tax loopholes.” 

“We have to draw a line in the sand,” Walker added. “Legislators and the governor can’t continue to push us. We’re going to have to take actions that cannot be ignored.”

In addition to closing corporate tax breaks, Local 1000 is continuing to push for the Legislature to save $340 million by approving our ratified contract.  

Local 1000 members have also signed 35,000 petitions calling for no pay cuts and a budget that solution balances the sacrifice. On Thursday and Friday those petitions will be delivered to Schwarzenegger’s offices in Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego, Riverside and Fresno.  We will also deliver petitions to the Sacramento offices of legislative leaders on Friday.  On Saturday, we will deliver the petitions to Schwarzenegger’s Brentwood mansion.

Actions will continue at worksites throughout the state, including pickets at all 42 prisons protesting cuts that will make our communities less safe, and culminating in a massive “Budget Watch” rally at the Capitol on June 30 and July 1.