State should show solidarity with private and public sectors

So state union workers have approved their contracts, and most layoffs have been avoided, after much negotiation and wringing of hands. It’s probably safe to assume nobody really wanted their fellow Connecticut workers to lose their jobs. However, it has been difficult for those working in the private sector in this state, which has been struggling mightily over the past few years, to watch the circus that was the too-long discussion on the contracts for state workers. Few private sector employees have the same calibre of benefits, pay structure and job security that had been part of the state’s offer to its employees from the very beginning of this long process. And it’s those private sector workers whose taxes pay for the dearly held benefits of state workers ­— and yes, state workers pay taxes, too. It’s a bitter pill, though, for those private sector workers whose hours may have been cut or who have lost their jobs during the recession (which we must admit is not over yet in the Northeast) to see the kind of deal that state unions first declined, then finally accepted under the greatest duress. Only after the threat and clear guarantee of layoffs did the unions come back to approve the deal.If the economic initiatives undertaken by the Malloy administration (such as the “First Five” program, whereby incentives have been offered to employers to add 200 new jobs to their payrolls in the state) succeed long-term, it could be that the state will keep the number of jobs it currently maintains. The problem is that there are still layoffs happening in the private sector which will not be avoided by new contracts or raised taxes. It would be even better if jobs could be increased, not just maintained, making a more viable expanding economy in the state, with well-rounded positions including manufacturing jobs available to a range of workers. Connecticut needs to figure out the right long-term formula for not only keeping the old, but attracting more new jobs to the state by being supportive of both new businesses coming into the state and those businesses that have been trying their level best to stay here.