Council 94 vote tally expected Tuesday

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Tuesday is the day leaders from Council 94 are expected to announce whether their members have decided to accept a deal with the state to avoid layoffs.

The counting is expected to begin at 1 p.m. at the union's North Providence headquarters.

Council 94 is Rhode Island's largest state employees union. Its 4,000 members have been voting over the past week on a deal that would cut their pay and require them to take 12 furlough days over the next two years. In exchange, workers would get extra vacation time and could claim some of the lost pay after leaving their jobs. The state has also agreed not to layoff any state workers.

The concessions are part of Gov. Donald Carcieri's cost-saving plans. He is responsible for trimming $68 million the General Assembly left in the budget.

Several other state unions have already accepted the deal. Carcieri has warned those who don't will face mass layoffs.