The Governor-elect of Wisconsin says that public employees might have to do more than freeze wages and take furloughs. He says that workers should pay 5% to their pensions and 12% of their health care costs as part of cost-cutting measures for the state. He also said that he was open to any option to balance the state budget, including certifying the state unions. Unions said that the Governor-elect was being absurd, and that the unions had already agreed to concessions. The Governor-elect has asked that no contracts be approved before he takes office, but Democrats hope to approve the contracts next week in a special session.
See "Wis. Gov.-elect renews calls for union concessions", Dinesh Ramde, Bloomberg News, December 7, 2010