NEWS NOTES- LABOR UNIONS RALLY AGAINST MANGANO'S PROPOSED BUDGET

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Labor unions rally against Mangano's proposed budget

(10/17/11) MINEOLA - The union representing county workers rallied against County Executive Ed Mangano's (R-Nassau) proposed budget in Mineola today.

"Mr. Mangano wants Nassau County to become another Wisconsin," says union member Katherine Gallagher. "We have a signed contract - he can't just go around ripping up contracts that were signed."

The workers were protesting the proposed 700 layoffs in Mangano's budget and his plan to declare a fiscal emergency.

The fiscal emergency would give Mangano the power to have union members pay 25 percent of their health care costs.

In a statement, Mangano said, "Rather than waste members' dues on T-shirts and juvenile signs, union leaders would serve their members responsibly by getting their butts to the negotiation table."