ALBANY — Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders met secretly Sunday, but emerged with no deals to cut spending two days before a special session of the Legislature to deal with the state’s fiscal crisis.

The meeting called away from Albany shows the power of the state teachers’ unions and other public worker unions who are using TV and radio campaigns as part of their fierce lobbying efforts to derail Tuesday’s special session of the Legislature. Sunday’s meeting sought to secure some agreement so Tuesday’s session could result in at least some action.

As of Sunday evening the special session called by Paterson was still scheduled and the Senate’s Republican majority planned to discuss Paterson’s proposed cuts in a closed door session Monday night. Under the constitution, the Senate and Assembly are compelled to attend a special session, but they aren’t required to act.

“It makes more sense for the governor to give us his spending plan for next year so we can deal with the cuts all at one time,” said John McArdle, spokesman for Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos of Long Island.

Silver and the Assembly Democrats have expressed support for Paterson, but none of his specific ideas to cut spending. If the Senate Republicans refuse to act, the Assembly Democrats wouldn’t have to vote Tuesday, saying any action would be moot without the Senate’s approval.

Silver spokesman Dan Weiller declined comment after the meeting.

Paterson has called for cuts in school aid growth and health care.

Skelos has said midyear cuts would be too disruptive to schools. His Republican conference was boosted late in the fall elections by the powerful endorsement of the New York State United Teachers union, which strongly opposes the cuts.

Although Paterson last week proposed $5 billion worth of cuts to begin to offset what he projects will be $47 billion of deficits over the next three years. Although, he hasn’t provided any bills for legislative leaders to consider Tuesday, he provided detailed bill drafts meant to be used to arrive at a consensus. Legislative leaders have refused to suggest their own cuts. While recognizing the state is a historic fiscal crisis, they have so far not embraced Paterson’s ideas.

“It was clear from the meeting that Majority Leader Skelos has not changed his position,” Paterson said in a prepared statement. Skelos “did say he plans to conference with his members and I hope that by Tuesday we will have a constructive package of spending reductions for this year.”

An Associated Press reporter who learned of Sunday’s meeting in Paterson’s state offices in Manhattan was escorted from Paterson’s outer office with a state trooper. Paterson spokeswoman Risa Heller said there would be no public disclosure by the public officials of what transpired in the closed-door meeting.

Heller had no immediate comment on why the public officials met in the unannounced session.

Despite NYSUT’s financial and campaign support for the Senate GOP’s current majority, the Republicans lost their majority in the Nov. 4 elections beginning Jan. 1. But Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith, the likely Senate majority leader in January, wasn’t part of Sunday’s meeting.

In Albany, the majorities in each chamber don’t allow bills to even get a floor debate unless they are already negotiated to the satisfaction of the leaders and approved by the rank-and-file in closed-door conferences.