Despite their strong objections, New York lawmakers are scheduled to vote for unprecedented furloughs for state workers to contend with a fiscal crisis.
Gov. David Paterson is resorting to one-day furloughs each week for about 100,000 state workers after unions refused his earlier requests for lag pay and suspending their 4-percent raises.
Paterson says he will stop the furloughs, scheduled to begin the week of May 17, if unions agree to other concessions. Paterson wants $250 million in concessions from unions to close a $9 billion budget deficit. The difficult times have helped make the state budget more than a month late.
Workers will lose one day of work and pay for each week the state operates on emergency spending bills.
The Legislature's vote is scheduled for Monday.
