Minnesota Agreement Reached? It’s No Deal Until It’s a Done Deal!

by Clyde Weiss  |  July 15, 2011

News of a deal to put 22,000 state and local public service workers back to work within days is making national headlines today. A budget “framework,” as it’s called, is finally on the table. Minnesotans want their government to work for them, and the shutdown, now 15 days old, is creating hardship throughout the state.

Critical services are being denied to those who need them the most. It’s costing the state money and hurting local businesses. Laid-off workers are suffering – by the time the shutdown is over, workers will have lost three week’s pay while millionaires continue to benefit from not having to pay one cent more in taxes.

The shutdown needs to end, but until lawmakers and Gov. Mark Dayton (D) can work out the details of their deal, and make it public, it’s too early to say whether this is an appropriate resolution. AFSCME Council 5, in a statement this morning, points out:

“Until that happens, we continue our work to make sure we help achieve the best deal possible. Our phone banks continue, our rallies continue, our shutdown actions continue. Until we see the details of the actual budget bills, there is nothing solid to comment on, so we will have no comment.”

Stay tuned.