Council 94 leaders OK tentative deal

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP/WPRI) - The largest Rhode Island employees union has accepted a tentative deal that would prevent a government shutdown and mass layoffs.

Council 94 President J. Michael Downey said Friday his union will send the proposal to its roughly 4,000 members for a vote. It's part of Gov. Don Carcieri's plan to help close a $68 million budget shortfall.

Upon learning that Council 94 will send the agreement to its full membership for a vote, Governor Carcieri said, "I am pleased that the presidents of Council 94 have made the decision to allow their members a chance to vote on this agreement. It is my goal to keep people working, and this agreement will give state employees job security."

Last month, Carcieri ordered a shutdown of state government for a dozen days to help close a looming budget deficit brought on by one of the state's worst recessions in decades. A collection of 10 state employee unions sued to block the shutdown plan.

When the state Supreme Court temporarily halted Carcieri from implementing the shutdown, the governor said the ruling left him no other option but to lay off 1,000 state workers. After negotiations, union leaders reached a deal that would require workers to lose 12 days of pay in the next two years and delay a scheduled 3 percent pay raise.

They would receive extra vacation time and could reclaim some of that lost pay when they retire or leave their state jobs. In return, Carcieri would promise not to shut down state government and would abandon his layoff plan.

But the deal threatened to fall apart after Carcieri sought the ability to reassign workers to different jobs and offices, a proposal that prompted Council 94 to balk at the voting on the agreement Wednesday.

Carcieri has said that he needs the flexibility to reorganize and consolidate state government as a dismal economy drives down the state's tax income. Union leaders fear that workers could be subject to random job transfers and suffer a loss in job security.

Two other unions have already ratified the deal, while Council 94 and six additional unions are planning to vote on it.

Union leaders tell Eyewitness News that they are hoping to put the deal out for a full vote before Friday, October 2nd.