ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The executive committee of New York's second-largest public workers union on Monday supported a new tentative contract that could avoid 3,500 layoffs.
The Public Employees Federation contract proposal with Gov. Andrew Cuomo will next face its biggest test with a vote by rank-and-file members. Paper ballots were sent to members' homes starting Monday and will be counted Nov. 3.
Cuomo, a Democrat, said Monday that the deal negotiated over the weekend is the 56,000-member PEF's last chance to avoid layoffs that had been scheduled to begin Wednesday.
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"Simply put, the fate of the members is in the union's hands," Cuomo said before the committee vote. "It's up to them."
Wages would be frozen this year, in 2012 and in 2013, except for any annual step increases members get in their specific positions. Wages would increase 2 percent in 2014.
In April, Cuomo insisted that all public worker unions agree to concessions to save the state $450 million this year in part to address a $10 billion deficit in the $135 billion state budget and avoid 9,800 layoffs in all unions. Other unions have agreed to wage freezes, unpaid furloughs and greater employee contributions to health care.
This fall, the PEF's members rejected the first tentative agreement negotiated by its leaders. That deal would have avoided nearly 3,500 layoffs statewide.
PEF President Ken Brynien said he was "strongly encouraging" union members to ratify the new agreement to "save the jobs of their co-workers while preserving the level of service to taxpayers."
There are about 175,000 state employees.
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