Yesterday, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo extended legislation for continuing contracts for union employees, and transmitted legislation mandating overtime for firefighters. Who doesn’t like teachers and firefighters, right? But that’s not the point.
Because of her actions, cities and towns in Rhode Island will have no leverage at the bargaining table since contract renewals are now guaranteed. Also guaranteed is overtime for firefighters, even though most towns already pay overtime voluntarily.
Raimondo’s automatic contract extension hurts cities and towns because it’s the local administrators who do the bargaining with unions. Now that’s out the window. Coupled with the mandates on firefighter overtime, this is just more big government sticking its fingers in the local pie.
You don’t live in Rhode Island? You don’t care? Well, it may have national implications. Gov. Raimondo is a rising star in the Democratic Party. She received national attention for taking on the unions with pension reform. But, clearly, she’s pivoted hard left and is back feeding from the union trough.
If Raimondo makes it to the national stage, you can be sure she’d have no problem giving big government more power over the republic. Yesterday’s action is confirmation of that.
Stay tuned by making sure you know your local politics, and who the players are today and tomorrow.
Read the entire series here.
