NEW YORK STATE -- The relationship between Eliot Spitzer and several of the state's largest unions was rocky, to say the least. It is a well known fact that had Union leaders looking forward to doing business with Governor Paterson.
"Combative situations don't lead to progress. To his credit, Governor Paterson has come into some amazingly difficult circumstances and really started moving us toward consensus building," said Richard Iannuzzi, NYSUT President.
With just over a month left in session, negotiations for union aid packages are well underway. Traditionally it's a time when the legislature would sweeten the pot, like union pensions and other benefits.
On the heels of a New York Yimes report suggesting unions considered Paterson a push over compared to his predecessor, the new Governor took some time to lay down the law, saying,” I may be your friend, but don't expect any financial favors.” Capital Tonight's Erin Billups has more on that.
One bill aims to prohibit state and local governments from changing the health benefits of retired workers, something Iannuzzi says his members have earned through they're service to the state.
"There's a real attempt now to characterize the bills that are out there in front of the legislature as money grabbing attempts to keep going back to the well, in reality, they really aren't," Iannuzzi said.
But it's an argument the governor does not seem sympathetic to, saying he's not looking for a fight. But the state is in fiscal crisis and now is not the time for pension sweeteners.
"So I understand that there are entities that are going to go on and on thinking that they're going to cut the same piece out of the pie. They don't understand that there's no more pie," Governor Paterson said.
But the influence of unions may prove, once again, to outweigh the state's priorities. For years, lax campaign finance laws allow them to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into lawmakers' campaigns, something critics call a bargaining chip they typically cash in.
But NYSUT and the Civil Service Employees Association, or CSEA, are two of the state’s most powerful unions. They argue that despite what critics say, their goal is not to “flex” their muscle.
"Consensus building, it's called waiting our turn, whatever it is, it's something that NYSUT is always prepared to do," said Iannuzzi.
CSEA spokesman Steven Madarasz says the governor's concerns are fair, but they hope each legislation is considered separately, rather than being lumped together simply as sweeteners. He says many of their pension and health benefit concerns, if addressed, may actually spur taxpayer savings.
And while Paterson is not the steamroller Spitzer was known to be, he made clear today he's no push over either.