Union officials: Initial deal to stop RI shutdown

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A tentative deal has been reached between Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri and several labor unions to prevent a state government shutdown and the layoff of 1,000 state workers, two union officials told The Associated Press.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations Friday.

The two-year agreement, still subject to approval by thousands of state workers, aims to help close a $68 million shortfall in the state budget. The largest state employees’ union, Council 94, was still negotiating and meeting with its members to discuss the deal, said President J. Michael Downey, who would not discuss the terms.

The deal requires workers to take eight unpaid days before the fiscal year ending in June, and three or four more the following year, the union officials said.

Carcieri originally had planned to shut down the government for 12 days to help close the budget gap. After a state Supreme Court judge last week temporarily halted the plan, Carcieri said he would be forced to lay off 1,000 state workers.

Gary Sasse, director of the state Department of Administration, who is spearheading the negotiations for Carcieri’s office, said he could not comment Friday.

As part of the deal, Carcieri has promised not to shut down government or lay people off in the next two fiscal years, the union officials said.

They said 3 percent raises due in July will be delayed until January 2011.

In return for taking unpaid days off, state workers would get more vacation time and can get paid for some lost days when they retire.

Getting the consent of Council 94 is critical to striking a final agreement since it’s the largest state employees union and often takes the lead in negotiations. A cost-cutting deal between Carcieri and state workers faltered last year when members of Council 94 voted it down. A compromise was eventually reached.

The agreement emerged just before the state Supreme Court planned Friday morning to meet behind closed doors to consider a legal challenge filed by unions seeking to block the governor’s plan to shut down state government.

Council 94 has asked the court to delay consideration of its case in light of a possible deal, said Joseph Peckham, the union’s acting executive director.

In 1991, the Supreme Court allowed then-Gov. Bruce Sundlun to shutter the state government to save money during a fiscal crisis brought on by failing banks and credit unions. State workers lost two days of pay before Sundlun struck a deal with their unions.