Unions Deny Ganim Request For Givebacks

With most Bridgeport residents in an uproar now that they have actually received their tax bill, the pressure will probably start to build on Mayor Joe Ganim and the City Council. And now it looks like Ganim will have a very hard time convincing the unions to help him with his budget problems. Ganim had asked one of the largest unions, the NAGE, to forgo their negotiated pay raises and take 10 unpaid furlough days.  In the weeks since that request, the city has received $7 million in additional monies, more than half of that coming from the sale of land to Sacred Heart University. When Ganim's request was put to a vote, union members resoundingly rejected it by a 279 to 24 margin. Ouch! Ganim is now threatening layoffs if the unions don't cave in. It's certainly not looking like a very good start for Ganim 2.0.