Budget Commission Assures Legislators Compulsory Union Concessions are Defensible

Yesterday the Woonsocket Delegation got the meeting it requested before moving forward with Senate and House versions of a $2.5-million supplemental tax bill, but whether they're convinced the bills are worthwhile remains to be seen. 

Commission member and City Council President John Ward said the panel met with Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, (D-Dist. 49) and Sen. Marc Cote (D-Dist 24) during Monday's executive session portion of their meeting at 2 p.m. at City Hall.

When the House version of the supplemental tax bill passed May 22, the delegation announced both versions would remain on the respective chambers' desks pending a conference with the Budget Commission. 

On April 19, the Woonsocket Budget Commission voted to enact the concessions they were attempting to negotiate with all the city's unions save the firefighters' union, which still has a pending contract. State law does not allow the Commission to alter existing contracts. The move was described as a 'Plan B'.

The concessions include moving all city employees under one unified health insurance plan and previously announced changes to retiree benefits. The move accounts for millions in savings in the 5-year-plan. Those, the supplemental tax, and benefit cuts to retirees are all necessary elements of the five-year-plan, which needs them all to work.

On May 28, Woonsocket Patch reported that both Baldelli-Hunt and Cote had conditioned moving the bills on good news from the Commission on the negotiations. Both expressed concern that the Commission's compulsory changes would be challenged in court, and were unlikely to be effective. 

Ward said the legislators were informed that "Negotiations are ongoing and we are not seeing the end quite yet," but that "the enactments are defensible and would hold up in court were it challenged."

Ward added the legislators were relaying that information to their colleagues to discuss their next move. Calls to Baldelli-Hunt and Cote were not immediately returned.