Balancing 2 percent spending cap, state worker raises
Rick Karlin
Albany
A year from now, negotiators with one of the state's major unions, the Public Employees Federation, will likely be in contract talks with representatives of the governor's office. Their most recent agreement expires on March 31, 2015.
A year after that, the state contract with the Civil Service Employees Association runs out.
While it appears unlikely that the unions will confront the "concessions or layoffs" choice they faced in 2011, they could be dealing with a new challenge: Gov. Andrew Cuomo's commitment to hold annual state spending increases to 2 percent while keeping costs for the state agencies flat.
The administration credits that 2 percent cap with helping to generate a projected surplus of more than $2 billion in the 2016-2017 fiscal year. In the current state budget negotiation, Cuomo wants to use those anticipated savings to help fund tax cuts for homeowners, renters and businesses.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Balancing-2-percent-spending-cap-state-worker-5261189.php