What is our current position regarding raises?
A. Over the past year, the State has entered into four tentative agreements with four different bargaining units: CSEA, UUP, Thruway Authority, Metropolitan Transit Authority. Each agreement has been successively better than the previous agreement. Our position is that the last agreement, with the MTA, is the current model, especially since it is similar to our March, 1999, demand for a three year contract, with 5% raises each year, no six month lags, no concessions, and maintaining the quality and cost of healthcare benefits.
