A couple of things happened just before we all began our holiday weekend: First, Ben Barnes released an unsigned letter to Comptroller Lembo, State Treasurer Nappier, Sal Luciano (VP of AFL-CIO and Exec Dir of AFSCME), and Mark Waxenburg (Exec Dir CT Education Association) requesting a public forum to debate the various competing pension funding proposals. The Governor has requested this meeting be held on March 15. Holding a public forum is an odd request and it is uncertain as to whether the request will be fulfilled. Regardless, union presidents will be meeting with Comptroller Lembo this week to discuss his pension funding plan.
A bit later Thursday afternoon, the Governor asked to meet with SEBAC leadership. This is his first attempt to reach out to the Unions since his budget was released. It is not clear what the Governor wishes to discuss but we can surmise it falls along at least one of the three major discussion points: pension funding, contract negotiations, or SEBAC concessions. In response to the latter, AFTCT Public Employees Council met late Thursday and agreed that we will not vote to open up SEBAC. Our coalition will be enough to block the opening of SEBAC. We are willing to meet with the Governor, but we will not have discussions to further erode our pension benefits. The Governor has requested this meeting to be held in the last week of February.