State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

House Narrowly Approves State Worker Labor Concessions

Hartford Courant:In a key vote Monday night, the House of Representatives narrowly approved $1.5 billion in state worker labor concessions to help close about one-third of the projected budget deficit over two years.

With all Republicans opposed, the measure passed 78 to 72 with one fiscally conservative Democrat, Rep. John Hampton of Simsbury, voting against.

The concessions were hailed by leaders of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, known as SEBAC, but Republicans said the deal is still too lucrative because it includes a four-year, no-layoff provision and extends the agreement to 2027. Democrats pushed for a vote Monday because waiting for approval until the next regular session in 2018 would cost the state millions of dollars in lost savings from the labor deal.

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