News: Budget, California Has Relatively Few State Workers, Possible Unit 11 Strike

A roundup of recent news tidbits for you...

Budget News Worsens (As Usual)

From a column on California's financial situation in today's Sacramento Bee:

This year, if the projections are accurate, revenues will fall by 11 percent compared with last year. This drop of more than $10 billion would be the single largest decline in state revenues, ever. As a share of the budget, it would be more than twice as large as the next-biggest drop the state has suffered in the past half-century.

In other words, modern California has never seen anything quite like this. The anticipated decline is more than the state spends on its entire prison system, and almost as much as the taxpayers contribute to the University of California, California State University and the community colleges combined.

California 2nd Lowest Ratio of State Workers

The Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy says we have the 2nd-lowest proportion of state workers in the US. From their October 2008 Numbers in the News Report State and Local Government Employees: Where Does California Rank?:

In 2007 California had the 2nd lowest number of full-time equivalent state government employees relative to population among all states. California had 103 state employees for every 10,000 residents while Illinois had the lowest ratio at 97. The U.S. average was 143 state employees per 10,000 residents. California’s ratio of state government employees relative to population was 28% below the national average.

The full report (3 short pages, including graphs) is worth reading.

Academic Student Employees May Strike

Meanwhile, UAW Local 4123, representing academic student employees in the CSU, has announced it may strike against the CSU. Fee waivers seem to be the main sticking point in negotiations. UAW Local 4123 says Progress on this issue is being blocked by CSU’s continuing unfair labor practices.

Academic student employees are in CSU Bargaining Unit 11, and signed their first contract in 2005.

Links

• Daniel Weintraub: State's finances are heading for a precipice (Sacramento Bee)
• State and Local Government Employees: Where Does California Rank? (Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy) [PDF]
• Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy
• CSU academic student workers consider strike (Fresno Bee)
• UAW Local 4123