Is New Haven Headed for a Wisconsin-style Showdown?

As the mayor braces for a confrontation with union leaders, he asked them to show the “maturity” to distinguish New Haven government’s approach to fiscal crisis from, say, Wisconsin’s. Replied one labor negotiator: There’s no difference.

Those two perspectives emerged as Mayor John DeStefano unveiled a proposed new $475 million budget that includes probably privatizating school custodians—and as he repeated a call for unions to accept pension and health care givebacks in order to avoid sweeping layoffs next year.

Those subjects have provoked recriminations on both sides as the city negotiates new contracts with 11 unions. Democrat DeStefano charges that union leaders have lost sense of economic reality. Union leaders say he’s scapegoating them.

Looming in the background are similar battles occurring in City Halls and statehouses nationwide, as recession-ravaged government coffers and spiraling employee benefit bills have led elected officials to seek dramatic concessions for unionized workforces.

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