New York Governor Cuomo indicated that the state doesn’t have the money to go forward with the raises now…
Most state employee’s ARE getting paid TO come TO work now…
The action will last for at least 90 days and save the state millions…
Anyone who has just listened to the virus side of this crisis is missing the second shoe that is dropping….
The American economy may shrink by 25% for a while….
THAT is gonna last a LOT longer then the virus…
ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo confirmed Thursday he has deferred pay raises scheduled for April for some 80,000 state workers, a move fiscal hawks had been urging for weeks to deal with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We, frankly, don’t have the money,” Robert Mujica, Cuomo’s budget director, said at the governor’s daily briefing, about 12 hours after some of the state’s major unions began spreading the word about the pay freeze. He has estimated state revenue has taken at least a $10 billion dive since the virus hit New York. The freeze will last at least 90 days and would save New York $50 million.
The governor said union contracts give him the power to enact such freezes in extraordinary circumstances. He said it was either that or layoffs.
“You could do layoffs or you could buy some time,” Cuomo said. “Let’s freeze the raises because that’s better than actually losing your job.”
Unions were expecting a 2% raise for many of their members by the end of the month. The largest public-employee union, the Civil Service Employees Association, criticized the decision….
Note…
NY Governor Cuomo isn’t running for re-election this fall…..
image…AP/Hans Pennink