Posts tagged budget deficit
Wisconsin Reined in Public Sector Unions. Now Those Reforms Are in Jeopardy.
April 12, 2026 // According to a recent analysis by the Center for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR), Wisconsin has seen the sharpest decline in union membership rates of any state in the country over the past 40 years. While the number of union members has declined nationwide in recent decades as America has transitioned to a more service-based economy, Wisconsin's decrease has been particularly notable, especially since it historically had been one of America's most unionized states. Act 10 played a large role in the drop. Wisconsin's public sector union membership rates saw "by far" the largest decline—at close to 29 percent—of any state, according to CEPR's report. "Wisconsin's steepest losses," the report notes, "coincided with the 2011 passage of Wisconsin Act 10."
S.F. begins to lay off 127 workers as Mayor Lurie takes ‘painful but necessary’ steps to close deficit
April 8, 2026 // Among the 18 departments affected by the layoffs are the departments of public health and economic and workforce development. The City Administrator’s Office and the Human Services Agency are also affected, as are civilian roles in the Police Department. It wasn’t immediately clear exactly how many jobs were being eliminated from every affected department. The layoffs are likely to further inflame tensions between Lurie and some of the city’s most dominant public-sector labor unions. He already had a major disagreement with those groups over Proposition D, a June ballot measure they are pushing to raise taxes on companies with highly-paid executives.
PCC, classified employees union reach tentative deal that could end strike for 700 workers
March 26, 2026 // Portland Community College and its Federation of Classified Employees union have reached a tentative agreement that could end a strike involving about 700 classified employees and move the college closer to resuming normal operations. The tentative agreement, posted at 6:18 p.m. March 25, includes a 0% cost-of-living adjustment for this year and a 5% cost-of-living adjustment for 2026-27. Classified employees also would receive a $1,350 lump-sum payment upon ratification on the next payroll cycle and would be able to cash out up to 40 vacation hours.