Unions in Connecticut have stirred up consternation in Hartford by rejecting givebacks that Gov. Dannel Malloy was counting on to balance his budget. The givebacks, ironically, were far milder than those agreed to already in other places and include hundreds of millions of dollars in what can only be described as 'soft' savings.
One reason the deal was rejected, apparently, is because older workers with seniority know they won't be laid off in the absence of concessions and therefore don't want their benefits cut. This is an underlying problem with the seniority system protected by government unions, in which people are laid off by seniority, not by performance.
None of this sits well with voters already upset with the magnitude of tax increases passed by Malloy, estimated at $2.6 billion, the largest tax increase among states this year.
Join the conversation