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Successes reported by state employees' unions were reflected in jobs saved through legislative actions such as the $733 million tax increase on corporations and the wealthy — although the tax increases likely will be referred to voters in January.

Failures will soon come in the form of layoffs at most state agencies.

"The nature of the budget process with the $4 billion hole made this a rear-guard action for us," said Ed Hershey, a spokesman for Local 503 of the Service Employees International Union. "It was going to be about fending off cutbacks. That became the overwhelming objective."