Posted on 12/09/2010 6:12:37 AM PST by SmithL
The not-so-special special session that opened Monday marked the last chance for out-of-contract state employee unions to cut a deal with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The Assembly likely won't assemble again until Jan. 3, so it's not around to approve contracts before they go to the governor. From here on, all deals go to Jerry Brown.
For most unions, the guv-elect is a welcome change. Six bargaining units representing 63,000 state workers still don't have contracts. Half are prison and parole officers represented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association. They haven't had a deal since 2006. They despise Schwarzenegger.
CCPOA was a big Brown backer. It spent $1.8 million to get him elected. About 90 percent of that money went into independent October ads attacking his GOP rival, Meg Whitman.
On Monday, Brown made a quick trip to CCPOA's two-day convention at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. A spokesman said he talked about the seriousness of the state's budget deficit.
CCPOA retiree Bob Walsh, who attended the convention, said Brown spoke for about 12 minutes. "Warm and fuzzy," Walsh said, "and short on specifics."
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
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