Top donors to hash out union contracts with Pennsylvania Gov.-elect Wolf

[Omaha Steve]

http://triblive.com/politics/politicalheadlines/7192358-74/wolf-campaign-state#axzz3JblIX3gh

By Melissa Daniels

When Gov.-elect Tom Wolf negotiates Pennsylvania's largest public sector union contracts in 2015, his administration will sit across the table from some of his largest campaign supporters.

The national chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gave Wolf's campaign $500,000, as did the political arm of Pennsylvania's Service Employees International Union. The state's AFSCME Council 13 donated $54,000. AFSCME and SEIU contracts for state employees will expire June 30.

The Commonwealth Foundation, a free-market think tank based in Harrisburg, said donations of $5,000 or more from unions to Wolf's campaign total more than $2.7 million, citing figures from Public Source. Nathan Benefield, vice president of policy analysis of the Commonwealth Foundation, said donations don't mean there's a “quid pro quo,” but four of the top 10 donors to Wolf's campaign were unions.

“He will be negotiating with the same people that gave his campaign a lot of money,” he said. “Those have significant cost implications going forward that can tie the hands in terms of spending, in terms of a large number of employees.”


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