Sucks to be a state employee now. Thing 1: we are working under a temporary contract that the republicans have announced they will not approve: Thing 2: They are looking to make up a $4.5 Billion state budget deficit.
First thing they do in January will be to roll back the 6% raise over two years that we got from the last strike. So we will immediately go back to our 1999 level of pay. Then, during contract negotiations this coming summer, maybe they will give us salary decreases to make an even 10% cut. If MAPE members earn an average of $44K per year and there are 11,000 of us, then that will save almost $50 Million per year. Then there will be 4.45 Billion left to cut
Then will come layoffs, as many as 500 from the DNR. Then will come program cuts. Here are some of the cuts to DNR programs expected (based on when they thought we were dealing with a $3 Billion deficit)
But now I hear Steve Swiggum, speaker of the house, on the radio saying that only the domestic partner benefits will get cut and not the salaries, so who knows.
7:37:30 PM 
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