Posted on 06/28/2002 6:45:48 PM PDT by chance33_98
Troopers blast King's request for state employees to take furlough days Friday, June 28, 2002, 4:28 PM Email story to a friend
By NewsRadio WMTW 870/1470 AM and 106.7 FM
AUGUSTA -- The head of the State Troopers Association is blasting Gov. King for his administration's request that troopers voluntarily take three days off without pay to help make up for the state's $180 million budget shortfall.
Mike Edes says troopers are overworked and underpaid as it is.
"He wants us basically to take a thousand days off. When you add up -- we've got 330, 320 road troopers, and that's covering the entire state. We average around 30 troopers per shift from Kittery to Fort Kent," Edes says. "Now he wants us to take an additional thousand shifts off a year? We think it's ridiculous."
Edes says Personnel Director Ken Walo has hinted that if troopers don't take the furlough days, the administration could go after the 2 percent raise the union is guaranteed by contract in July.
Walo says that's not true and that troopers will get that raise, no matter what. All other non-essential state employees have been ordered to take three days off without pay, the first next Friday.
BTW does he still make the run from flat land country to Augusta everyday.
Wonder what would happen if he actually had to live in the Blaine house?
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