Public employee union responds to final round of state budget cuts

Eliot Seide, director of AFSCME Council 5, Minnesota’s largest public employee union, expects 3,400 public sector jobs will be lost as a result of Pawlenty’s unallotment and budget cuts.

“While Gov. Pawlenty globe-trots for president, state employees are hard at work helping Minnesotans survive the poor economy,” Seide said. “Piling on more layoffs and cutting vital public services is certainly not the path to economic recovery.”

Services cut in the latest round of unallotment include dairy and food inspection; several employment services, including State Services for the Blind; numerous programs to protect natural resources and prevent pollution; staffing to administer human services and assistance for Metro Transit.

“Unallotment is a badge of shame that should be worn by every legislator who refused to make taxes fair – they’re willing to wreck Minnesota to protect the wealthy,” said Seide. “We need the Legislature to override these cuts and help us protect strong communities where everyone can thrive.”

State Budget Commissioner Tom Hanson said, “All of the allotment reductions have been implemented except for the reductions to FY 2011 local government aids, which we expect to be complete by mid-January, 2010.”

Council 5 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is a union of 43,000 public and non-profit workers throughout Minnesota, including 19,000 state employees.

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