SEBAC Changes its Rules

State employee union leadership voted today to ease the rules for ratifying contract concessions, clearing the way for the unions and the administration of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to reach a new deal to avoid mass layoffs and deep budget cuts.

Simple majorities now will be required for ratification: eight of 15 unions must vote in favor, and their membership must represent a majority of the unionized workforce. Under previous rules, ratification required the support of 14 of 15 unions representing 80 percent of members.

A previous tentative agreement to save $1.6 billion, as calculated by the administration, won support from 11 of the 15 unions, with 57 percent of participating union members voting yes. It fell short of the stricter ratification rules.

"If the same units vote the same way, under the rules it would pass," Eric Bailey, a spokesman for the unions, said of a new deal.

The new bylaws had to be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the leadership of the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, but Bailey declined to release the exact vote, calling it an internal matter.

Sgt. Andrew Matthews, president of the Connecticut State Police Union, said he was unable to attend, but his designee was instructed to abstain. But Matthews, whose union voted against the first concession deal, also said, "I think it would be a good thing to allow the membership to vote on another proposal."

To immediately change the bylaws, the SEBAC leadership first had to vote to suspend rules that otherwise called for a 30-day waiting period.

SEBAC reported the change today on its website, then dispatched two spokesmen, Matt O'Connor and Leo Canty, to the state Capitol to brief reporters.

"The most fundamental principle of democracy is majority rules. There is a recognition of that in the changes that were adopted," O'Connor said.

Malloy, who was traveling to Connecticut from the annual meeting of the National Governors Association in Utah, issued a statement welcoming the news, but reiterating he is open only to clarifying the previous tentative agreement, not re-negotiating the terms.

"It's good news that the unions have changed their ratification process to one that respects the will of the majority. Over the next few days Mark Ojakian will be speaking with SEBAC leaders to understand which issues in the agreement need to be clarified," Malloy said.

Ojakian represented Malloy in the previous negotiations.

"Given the limited number of issues that have been identified as problematic, it shouldn't take more than a couple of days to have a clarified agreement that's ready to be voted on by all state employees," Malloy said.

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