The SEA's loyalty: What about public service?

The Union Leader wonders what state employees were thinking when they chose layoffs over furloughs.

So why in the world did union members choose layoffs instead? The answer probably lies in this quote from SEA board member Chuck Koontz: "If you're laid off, you can always get rehired, but if you agree to a pay cut, no one's going to come around and increase your pay."

"If you're laid off, you can always get rehired ..." Always?

Not in the private sector. The state's new unemployment numbers confirm that. But many state employees believe that union membership guarantees them permanent access to a state job.