Perdue speaks to labor

Gov. Beverly Perdue thanked the state AFL-CIO this morning for their political backing, and promised she would work “shape up” state government.

But she sidestepped some of the more controversial issues on labor’s agenda, such as allowing collective bargaining by public employees, reports Rob Christensen.

Perdue told a conference of about 80 labor leaders at the downtown Sheraton that she was working long hours putting together a budget. She said her priorities were on preserving state spending on education, particularly K-12. She also wanted to protect vocational programs.

But she said there would be pain.

“It’s just so hard,” she said. “Its so hard to know the decisions I have to make will hurt people in North Carolina.”

More after the jump

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But she said she was required by the state Constitution to balance the budget.

She also promised to reform state government, making it more open and transparent and innovative.

But Perdue made no mention of labor’s goal to remove the ban on collective bargaining by public employees.

“I am very hopeful the whole issue will be solved in Congress,” Perdue told reporters later. “I know that is an issue that is right there before them.”

She was apparently referring to a bill that would allow first responders — including law enforcement and correctional offices — to engage in collective bargaining. Although the bill is national in scope, it is targeted toward North Carolina and Virginia -- the two states that have bans on collective bargaining by public employees.

State Sen. Josh Stein of Raleigh told the labor group that he intends to co-sponsor a bill in the state legislature that would allow collective bargaining by public employees.