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Economy

Federal Judge Blocks Bankrupt California from Reducing Wages of State Workers

2009-07-01

A federal judge in California has issued an injunction to stop a proposed $2 hourly wage reduction for the state's home-care workers, reductions that are part of efforts to cut a state budget shortfall of $24 billion. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken halted the wage cuts on June 25 in response to a lawsuit by the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) on behalf of 250,000--out of a total of 440,000--home care workers that it represents in California.
Tired by the silliness of his syncophants, King Cnut the Great set his throne by the sea shore. "Stop, sea!" he ordered. "Back, you waves!" The tide ignored him and wet his feet and robes. "Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws." He then hung his gold crown on a crucifix, and never wore it again.

Posted by:Fred

#25 by the way - when I say:

"In private, I would make $40K-60K more with less pension/retirement and no guaranteed health bennies."

I understand how the current Obama Downturn makes that false. In a NORMAL economy, that would be true, but I have a lot of friends, associates, that are in private that either took a ten percent cut or lost their jobs. Shit. We took a 6% cut, so I understand their pain, but at least I'm still working, so I'm ok with that

Posted by: Frank G 2009-07-01 22:35

#24 In my own capacity - I've been "acting" Sr Bridge Engineer since last fall, covering 5 bridge projects. I have 2 engineers and 2 surveyors working for me. I am also doing my Project Manager job I transferred from "in my spare time" with 5 projects, including a $392 million project with two bridge replacements and a widening of I-5 for a stretch in concert with Caltrans - Project Report and Environmental Document should be out for public review in August. For that I get an extra 5% above my base to account for the 10-14 hr days counting evenings online. Regulars would note my absence at the Burg.

In private, I would make $40K-60K more with less pension/retirement and no guaranteed health bennies. I work my ass, just as in private, and am relatively happy with what I have. I spend A LOT of time on evenings, weekends, that I don't charge, because in my mind, it's part of my job duties to stay on top of things and provide prompt direction. I'm not unusual among my engineering peers, although there are slackers in any org.

I made the choice and I have nothing to apologize for. I'd only ask that you think of that before you lazily slur every public employee, k?

Posted by: Frank G 2009-07-01 22:29

#23 I reread your post and really don't see any room for me in it. But I'll take your word for it.

The fact is, most evil goverment workers here in the Failed State of California are like me -- we're not in management, our wages are not increasing (and are often going down), and our workloads have increased to the Rantburgian rearranging of deck chairs. Staff reduction by attrition is the rule. Somebody leaves, they are not replaced. We try to pick up the slack. And after a time, we can't. We'd love to be able to do our damn jobs, but we can't. That ship, the Titanic, has sailed. Yet, all we hear is how lame we are. Fine. Keep your fooking narrative and your scapegoating. My kind will be gone soon and you can rip off the young'ns. But you are not going to like what you pay for. The self-esteem generation coming up is not like us aging boomers (Get off my lawn!) and will not work for peanuts. Hell, they won't work at all.

Posted by: Gabby 2009-07-01 22:08

#22 That there are notable exceptions in no way diminishes the truth of my post. If you are one of those exceptions, you oughta know I didn't mean you.

Posted by: no mo uro 2009-07-01 21:37

#21 What Frank said.

I realize it's fashionable to bash goverment workers as lazy, overpaid crooks...but all I can say after 25 plus years at the wellfair deep art mint is what K said to J in Men in Black: "Try it."

Posted by: Gabby 2009-07-01 19:17

#20 *ahem*

Posted by: Frank G 2009-07-01 18:38

#19 In the past 80 years, government workers....

Please file under deafening silence, jumbo shrimp, clearly misunderstood, pretty ugly, etc.

Posted by: Besoeker 2009-07-01 18:36

#18 The public sector workforce long ago broke the social contract they made with America.

The way it was supposed to work was this: if you get a public sector job, it'll be one that you'll have forever, and you'll get a pension, but in return for giving you that, the private sector will demand that you make a GREAT deal less money than if you were in the private sector.

In the past 80 years, government workers have said 'we want the job security AND the pension AND to make as much money as someone in the private sector, and we're giving you NOTHING back in return, and if you don't like it tough."

They've transgressed, and at some point they'll have to be punished for it.

Posted by: no mo uro 2009-07-01 17:38

#17 I have a question for the federal judiciary, besides this being a state matter and all that is: When California begins to print IOUs they will be of course only redeemable in California as no shoppkeeper in any other state will accept them willingly as payment. At what point will it be determined that California is printing its own currency?

Posted by: swksvolFF 2009-07-01 15:45

#16 California is a busy place, crammed with brand new BMW SUV's among other things, how is it that they're "broke"

On my recent business trip to the Central CA

There's your answer right there.

That's like determining the economic condition of Connecticut by visiting the 'Gold Coast'. Or New York City by staying in Upper Manhatten.

Try visiting the rest of California the next time you're here.

Posted by: Pappy 2009-07-01 14:14

#15 along w/~~most~~all of CA's legislature

Fixed.

Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2009-07-01 12:01

#14 This included their staff. It still included sun glasses for people that didn't wear prescription glasses. Posted by GolfBravoUSMC

The dark rose tint I assume?

Posted by: Besoeker 2009-07-01 11:54

#13 That's how we'll make the Little People pay.

-the Imperial Judiciary

Posted by: Bobby 2009-07-01 11:49

#12 Dodo

The Legislature did propose reducing their free glasses program from two pair to one pair per year. This included their staff. It still included sun glasses for people that didn't wear prescription glasses.

Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2009-07-01 11:40

#11 Perhaps your seeing the SEUI workers... :)

Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-07-01 10:35

#10 California is a busy place, crammed with brand new BMW SUV's among other things, how is it that they're "broke"
On my recent business trip to the Central CA area the pace of everything was dizzying. The Glistening infrastructure, the multitudes of expensive new SUV's, the gazillions of people out on all the freeways.... where does this money go? How can these objectively "rich" people paint themselves into a corner?

Posted by: 746 2009-07-01 10:25

#9 More unpaid leave for the entirety of California's public sector workforce, then.

Posted by: trailing wife 2009-07-01 08:28

#8 Look for Barry to soon appoint (appointed vs elected) Federal Zsar or overseer with wide ranging authority who will guide the State of California out of thier economic situation. His first step will be to Federalize the State's infrastructure and payroll. What takes place in California over the next few weeks and months will become Barry's template for the nation. It will be something to watch.

Posted by: Besoeker 2009-07-01 07:34

#7 Who needs the Tenth Amendment. Now the fed dictates the internal operations of the states. Imperial Judiciary indeed. You know there are savings in doing away with 50 redundant administrative units.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-07-01 07:23

#6 Typical union, entitlement mindset.

Posted by: Besoeker 2009-07-01 06:38

#5 Note that the legislature has not reduced it's own compensation or perks, nor those of it's staff.

I don't believe that the governor or his staff has taken hits either.

That being said, I would prefer to simply lay off half these people. 440,000 home-care workers means that 1.3% of the state's population are state employed home-care workers.

Posted by: DoDo 2009-07-01 02:05

#4 Our government here in California is acting just like a drug addict only it is addicted to the people's money. They just can't say no to new spending.

It is time they simply go back through the recent legislation and begin to repeal bill by bill starting from the most recent. Get rid of idiotic regulations such as those requiring trucks entering California with a load and might only be in California for a day or two to meet California exhaust emission standards. That measure is going to force small operators out of operation and provide a larger share to the big operators while increasing the costs of all goods shipped in and out of California.

All of these regulations are strangling business. When you strangle business, you reduce revenues. More companies are going to refuse to do business in California. The result is higher prices for everyone. When you have less money to spend on things, tax revenues actually go down. Companies show less profit, increase wages less or lay off employees, and the result is bad for everyone.

California is smoking crack when it comes to encouraging the very spirit that made it at one time the richest state in the nation. It now has the worse credit rating in the nation and is broke.

Thanks a lot, Democrats.

Posted by: crosspatch 2009-07-01 02:04

#3 Talk about "imperial judiciary" - this will cause the workers to end up unpaid in the end - and hopefully that jackass judge too when CA goes bankrupt because of SEIU union activists in robes like her.

Posted by: OldSpook 2009-07-01 01:18

#2 along w/most of CA's legislature.

Posted by: Broadhead6 2009-07-01 00:05

#1 Judge needs to be tossed out on his head.

Posted by: OldSpook 2009-07-01 00:01

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