SEIU reduces furlough days in CA

SACRAMENTO, CA — The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000 and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger have reached a tentative deal to reduce furlough days and allow state offices to remain open Fridays, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Schwarzenegger had ordered more than 238,000 state workers to take the first and third Fridays of each month off without pay to save an estimated $1.4 billion annually, the story stated.

SEIU Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker said: "In the end, the governor made concessions he did not want to make and so did we."

The agreement, which calls for union workers to take off one day a month and allows them to choose the day, applies to about 95,000 members of the SEIU Local 1000 and represents roughly a third of those ordered to take unpaid days off, the story noted.

According to the deal, which must still be ratified by the unionized state workers and would cover the employees through June 30, 2010, workers would give up two paid state holidays — Lincoln's Birthday and Columbus Day. State offices would be open for business on those days and employees who work them would not be paid overtime. In return, union workers would receive two additional personal days off.

The governor still has the option to order more furlough days if state finances deteriorate further, the story added.