Can This Marriage Be Saved?

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. They were supposed to be sweethearts, but they’re already bickering like lovers betrayed.

State employees, who pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of volunteers into Democrat Gray Davis’ primary and general campaigns last year, are already talking divorce.

State employees feel so jilted by Davis that they’ve already picketed the new governor, and one division has even threatened to go out on strike.

Whatever happened to the honeymoon Davis was supposed to have with organized labor? The truth is, Davis broke his vows before the honeymoon even began. Last December, Davis announced there was not enough money in the budget for the pay raise he promised state employees, after all. But there was, he admitted, enough money for his own pay raise (at least 95% of it), which he promised not to take but will anyway. No wonder the new little bride is unhappy.

Is there any way to save this marriage? Yes, as long as both parties want to. Which, fortunately, in this case, happens to be true. State employees want to remain true to Davis and Davis, true to them. On the basic issue, indeed, there is no dispute. Davis and state workers agree: State employees deserve a pay raise and Davis will give them one.

Except for prison guards and highway patrol officers, state employees were treated like unwanted children by Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. Denied any pay raise for the last four years, not even a cost-of-living adjustment. Robbed of part of their pension funds. Forced to surrender certain bargaining rights. Targeted by a Wilson-led initiative to cripple the union’s ability to use union dues for political activities.

That injustice must be undone, as Davis is the first to admit. The only questions are how and when.

Given that state coffers are actually $2 billion short of what Wilson indicated they would be when he left office, Davis has offered a compromise, in effect, telling state employees: Look, I can’t do this pay raise right now. The money’s just not there. But, trust me. If there’s more money available in May when state budget figures are revised, I’ll take care of you. Meanwhile, I’m dropping those bargaining concessions Wilson was demanding. And I’ve personally placed in my budget a 2% increase in May for all state employee units now working without a contract and another 2% in July for employees across the board.

To which, state employees respond: That’s not good enough. And rightfully so. With no pay raise for the last four years, state workers are now at least 9% in the hole. Two percent doesn’t begin to make up for lost wages, let alone address future raises due.

Hoping to break the deadlock, State Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco) and labor leaders suggest a middle ground, along these lines:

* Davis would publicly reiterate his commitment to a pay raise for state employees. After education, that’s his No. 1 priority. As funds become available, other projects will have to wait. State employees come first.

* Instead of letting new wounds fester into old, Davis would act immediately, through emergency legislation, to commit now whatever chunk of money he can find, however small, toward making state employees whole. Why wait until May?

* State employees would accept the ugly fact of both families and governments: You can’t spend what money you don’t have. And would accept whatever limited funds Davis can spring free now as a good-faith down payment.

* Davis also would offer workers, immediately, a package of non-cash incentives--like free parking and bus passes, an extra vacation day a month, deferred compensation--to help ease the pain and heal the breach until the Wells Fargo wagon arrives.

* Then, next month, as scheduled, both sides would sit down at the bargaining table and negotiate new contracts for the next fiscal year.

Such immediate, interim action makes total sense. Nobody wants this to turn into another Ronald Reagan versus air traffic controllers nightmare. Nobody wants to see the promise of eight years of marital bliss dashed in the first month of living together.

Davis and state employees make a great couple. It’s important to save this marriage while we still can. It’s time for Davis and state employees to kiss and make up.