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RALEIGH (AP) — North Carolina state employees rallied Tuesday against proposals they worry could force them to take extended furloughs as soon as this summer if the state's fiscal picture doesn't improve.

A week after Gov. Beverly Perdue ordered a 0.5 percent pay cut for all workers in exchange for 10 hours of unpaid leave to help close this year's $3 billion budget gap, the State Employees Association of North Carolina said they would staunchly oppose any new mandatory furloughs.

Neither Perdue nor legislative leaders have provided assurances to workers that more furloughs won't occur. Some bills filed this year have suggested workers could stay at home for up to 20 days without pay.

"This option is a major problem, not just for us as state workers and our families, but for the 9 million North Carolinians who have already paid for and expect the services that we provide" association executive director Dana Cope told more than 100 union members standing in rain across from the Legislative Building, carrying placards and chanting slogans.

Perdue's decision requiring 10-hour furloughs will save the state $65 million alone. With new revenue figures showing as much as $1 billion in additional cuts may be needed in the fiscal year starting July 1, House Democrats charged with creating the next state budget are taking a close look at the idea for the months ahead.

"I don't think any one's in favor of furloughs, but we do face declining revenues and we do face a mandate to balance our budget. And we will balance our budget," said House Speaker Joe Hackney, D-Orange. "We don't know yet how ... the House side will do that."

Earlier Tuesday, Perdue wouldn't say whether she would sign legislation ordering her to create added furloughs, noting she doesn't deal with hypotheticals. But Perdue reaffirmed her own authority to force workers to stay home temporarily without pay as a budget-balancing measure.

"Nobody likes the furloughs any less than I did," Perdue told reporters after a meeting of the Council of State. "The bottom line is I made decisions about whether to fire employees or whether to furlough."

"I would think at the end of day, (workers) don't like this, but they're better off with their job than with no job," she added.

The Senate budget plan approved last month would enable state agencies to furlough workers — through voluntary or mandatory means — to meet spending cuts. And Senate Democrats and Perdue have offered budget proposals that would lay off hundreds of workers, offering no raises except for an experience-based increase for public school teachers.

The threat of furloughs and layoffs anger many protesters already frustrated by a $675 million bailout of the state employee health insurance plan two weeks ago. That will require hundreds of additional dollars in out-of-pocket worker costs.

"We cannot stand for this no longer," said April Graham of Zebulon, a Department of Correction employee.

Workers representing the 55,000-member association chanted "no layoffs" and held signs pointing out how demand for higher education, prisons and mental health services are rising during the economic downturn. Furloughs could make it difficult for the state to respond to a hurricane or other natural disaster, they said.

"Who's going to clean up the streets for 20 days?" asked Jeremy Register, a Department of Transportation supervisor from Whiteville.