The Senate Finance Committee has included in its version of the state budget language rejecting monetary terms included in contracts for more than a dozen units for the upcoming fiscal year.
The committee also adopted language removing salary increases for employees not covered by unions. Committee co-chair Pete Kelly said that action would require separate legislation. Such legislation was introduced in the House on Wednesday.
Kelly says the move is geared toward saving jobs. The state faces projected multibillion-dollar deficits amid low prices, and departments are facing cuts.
Documents provided at a Wednesday morning hearing showed the removal of the salary increases would save about $57 million in all fund sources.
Sen. Click Bishop, a former state labor commissioner, said afterward that he did not support the amendments.
