New York Governor-Elect Andrew Cuomo says that the public sector unions will have to make concessions to help the state out of its financial hole. Cuomo thanked the unions in his speech Tuesday night, but said that the system needs to be fixed. While labor leaders say that they trust Cuomo and understand the financial state of New York, they are not going to give up concessions without a fight. One thing that many labor leaders have an issue with is Cuomo's consideration of pension reform that would change the system to a defined contribution plan, which they say could threaten workers' retirement. Cuomo says that he can keep the unions from coming together against him. Others say that if Cuomo can beat the unions in the pension system fight, he would have a future in national politics.
See "Cuomo on a Collision Course With Unions", Michael Barbaro, The New York Times, November 2, 2010