Contract negotiations ahead.

My husband has been a bit worried about his job for the last few weeks. He isn't specifically worried about whether or not he will have a job. What he is worried about is the fact that his union will soon be entering into contract negotiations with the state. We are for the most part a single income family. This means that any changes to his employee benefits and out of pocket costs impact us tremendously. We currently don't have to contribute very much for these costs but believe that is all going to change. We are quite sure that our costs are going to rise significantly. Several of his co-workers and retiring because they have a bad feeling about what the new contract will contain. One of them is leaving due to health problems and is looking into disability insurance. She is quite sure that the new changes coupled with her health problems will make it very hard for her to continue working and be able to afford coverage through her employer. I try to remind my husband that having a job when it is all said and done is our best hope and that we will have to deal with the changes to our benefits when they happen.