Unions in Folsom, California have agreed to contract concessions including furloughs and raise eliminations, as the city faces an increasing budget shortfall. The new terms should save Folsom $2.9 million, and many union members their jobs. The city expressed gratitude for cooperation on the union's part, noting that such personal sacrifices help prevent further layoffs. Meanwhile, unions in other cities, including Sacramento, have refused concessions. Union members express outrage that they are being forced to carry the burden of municipal budget shortfalls. Many cities are laying off hundred of city employees as a result.
See "Budget pressure puts unions on the spot", Robert Lewis and Ryan Lillis, The Sacramento Bee, February 15, 2009