Vermont is using some creative thinking to handle its budget issues. Pensions (as you all know) are becoming one of the biggest burdens on State budgets. Legislatures are either cutting existing pensions (which is likely not legal) or creating multi-tiered pension systems where newcomer’s pension benefits are significantly reduced (This will have the effect of driving new people away from government). State employees we’ve talked to (and the unions that represent them) feel both undervalued and infuriated by these moves.
We recently ran across this article from stateline.org which describes how Vermont sat down with their unions to jointly resolve part of their budget crisis. A little outside the box thinking went a long way. Kudos to Vermont for thinking creatively and turning a potentially adversarial situation into a win for both parties.
Are you applying creative solutions to your problems?