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As many of you likely know, I work for the State (yay, government job). For quite some time now California has been in quite the financial bind (like....most of the country....9,9). Back...oh geez...budget negotiations back around June of 2008 weren't coming along. Quite frankly...they never do. My mom has worked for the State for 15 years now and the budget negotiations have gone late every year except for one, iirc. So early 2009 our governor announced a state of emergency concerning the state's finances and put state workers on furlough (forced day off with no pay). Soon this became two furlough days, and has been running steady at three for about 6 months now (that's about a 15% pay cut, btw).
There have been a LOT of court battles over the whole furlough issue. The governor hasn't been willing to negotiate (or so it seems) with anyone, and has been stone-walling most negotiations. BUT....he's been losing some of the bigger court battles. His logic is finally being shot down. He issued furloughs as an "emergency", which at the time, was his right to do as governor, but after a budget was signed he didn't end the "emergency" furloughs. He had claimed to order furloughs for all state workers, including those funded by other agencies (like Federal funded agencies rather than State funded) to keep everyone equal....appreciated I guess, but it's not happening. There are a number of agencies that just can't shut down three Friday's of every month (like law enforcement, firefighters, and prison workers, along with other agencies that haven't shut down or furloughed their workers). And....there was one more argument that was shot down in court, but I can't remember what it is now.
All-in-all, the court is ruling in favor of State workers. \o/!! The governor is appealing, and this battle will next be taken to the Supreme Court, but if things keep going as they are....we'll be coming off the furloughs, and if the courts do indeed rule that we've been illegally furloughed since the signing of the last budget...we may even be getting back pay. *crosses fingers*
There have been a LOT of court battles over the whole furlough issue. The governor hasn't been willing to negotiate (or so it seems) with anyone, and has been stone-walling most negotiations. BUT....he's been losing some of the bigger court battles. His logic is finally being shot down. He issued furloughs as an "emergency", which at the time, was his right to do as governor, but after a budget was signed he didn't end the "emergency" furloughs. He had claimed to order furloughs for all state workers, including those funded by other agencies (like Federal funded agencies rather than State funded) to keep everyone equal....appreciated I guess, but it's not happening. There are a number of agencies that just can't shut down three Friday's of every month (like law enforcement, firefighters, and prison workers, along with other agencies that haven't shut down or furloughed their workers). And....there was one more argument that was shot down in court, but I can't remember what it is now.
All-in-all, the court is ruling in favor of State workers. \o/!! The governor is appealing, and this battle will next be taken to the Supreme Court, but if things keep going as they are....we'll be coming off the furloughs, and if the courts do indeed rule that we've been illegally furloughed since the signing of the last budget...we may even be getting back pay. *crosses fingers*
