State employees contract runs out in less than a week

The Concord Monitor leads with Lauren Dorgan's piece on the unresolved contract talks between the state and state employees:

Now is an uncertain time to be an employee of the state of New Hampshire. Less than a week before the term is up for the State Employees' Association contract, there is no new one to replace it, and negotiators haven't struck a tentative deal, according to union leaders.

Meanwhile, the Legislature this week approved a budget that, according to Gov. John Lynch, will require laying off at least 200 state employees. The final tally could be much higher, depending on how Lynch, who has said he will sign the budget, meets legislators' mandate to cut an additional $25 million in personnel expenses. Lawmakers said they hoped the governor would negotiate unpaid furloughs with state unions.