HONOLULU -- In the face of the worsening economy, Gov. Linda Lingle this week said she is considering furloughs for Hawaii state workers that are asking employees to take one day a month off without pay.

Two of Hawaii's biggest state unions reacted Saturday. One union called the governor's furlough proposal "drastic and potentially damaging."

Gov. Lingle's furlough proposal is aimed at 36,000 state workers. Each day employees are unpaid saves the state $8 million.

"My guess is furloughs will be on the table when I meet with legislators," Lingle said.

Randy Perreira, director of the state's largest public worker union, said he is angry the governor talked to KITV about furloughs before going to the unions.

"It is unfortunate that she is choosing not to talk directly to the public sector unions and instead taking her case our publicly and then she is getting the value of a sound bite," Perreira said.

Other states are trying furloughs.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered California state employees to take two unpaid days each month until July 2010.

Perreira said instead of furloughs the governor should tap other sources for money like the $180 million in Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund and other sources.

"One clear area is all the money is being leaked out through tax credits that even the governor herself has deemed as worthy of review. One of the unions biggest grips is the state would exclude so called essential workers from furloughs," Perreira said.

For example, prison guards and state hospital workers.

"If there is pain it should be shared equally," Perreira said.

The union representing Hawaii's 13,000 public school teachers said the governor's furlough proposal could be counter-productive.

"It's a drastic measure," said HSTA president Roger Takabayashi. "If it affects children, it should not be done."

Takabayashi said on non-teaching days, teachers are striving to help their students.