Pa. State Worker Unions Land Enviable Contracts
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- After tough talk about concessions from Governor Corbett, Pennsylvania worker unions are ending up with contracts many other public employees would welcome in a time of economic stress.
Many other Republican governors facing deficits--including New Jersey's Chris Christie--are sticking to their guns when seeking concessions from state workers. But when the Corbett administration struck a deal with leaders of its two largest unions last week, instead of the 4-percent wage cut Corbett said he wanted in the first year, there was only wage freeze, followed by increases in the three following years that the Harrisburg Patriot reported would total more than ten percent on average. In the end, Franklin and Marshall College professor and political analyst Terry Madonna believes Corbett decided a big fight with state workers wasn't worth it with so many other initiatives hanging in the balance.
"He has a huge agenda out there, and I think he's just reluctant to take the unions on," Madonna explained.
Madonna also notes that Corbett had already signaled no interest in trying to trim public worker unions' bargaining powers.
Reported by Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio
