State Employees Fund Budget Again

Ten shut down days each year, around holidays, a two year freeze on merit raises and longevity, and a hit on health care (go to MSEA site for details after 11:30 pm) Tuesday night.

Tthere will be three levels of cuts initially. Bad, worse and even worse, with the possibility of moving the wellness portion up to the middle of 2010, maybe earlier.

Good No 5% pay cut.

Good Maybe someone will notice what we do when they can't register a car or process paperwork.

Summary: They took between five and ten point 4 million additional dollars out of our hides.

Tim Belcher and Colonel Poulin both spoke up for their members but the venom dripping from the committee burned holes in my earphones from 90 miles away.

Like bullies anywhere they showed resentment that we tried to defend ourselves and that we tried to be part of the process.

Best Quotes: "They didn't want to lose 5% and this is what they got."

Rep: Flood: "I thought the 5% was fair, but I will vote for this anyway."

Rep Martin: "This is better than anything I have seen so far!"

Almost to a man and a woman they showed disgust for State Employees who asked to be represented and as much as said "this is what you get for talking back".

The ones that didn't blame us or damn us turned their backs. I only hope it was in shame.

Tom Farkas, who does the Stater for us and handles our web page has been staying up to report on this sick joke and will have all the details.

UPDATE: From the MSEA website.

The Appropriations Committee at 10:20 PM Monday, May 18, eliminated the across the board 5% pay cut on all State workers.

In its place, the Committee imposed 20 shutdown days (10 per fiscal year) on Executive Branch and Legislative Branch workers, exempting so-called "Tier 1" workers such as those in institutions, law enforcement and public safety.

For workers in all three branches of state government, the Committee voted to freeze merit increases and longevity increases for two years. The Committee allowed for comparable savings to be identified through contract negotiations.

On health insurance, the Committee imposed tiered individual premiums as follows:
Beginning October 1, 2009, those earning $30,000 or less will pay no premium, those earning $30,001 to $79,999 will pay 5 percent premiums; and those earning $80,000 and up will pay 10 percent premiums.

Beginning July 1, 2010, those earning $30,000 or less will pay 5 percent premiums, those earning $30,001 to $79,999 will pay 10 percent premiums; and those earning $80,000 and up will pay 15 percent premiums.

The Committee voted to establish a health credit premium program for implementation on July 1, 2010, where workers could earn back some or all of their individual premiums through healthy behavior.

Under this program, to be developed by the State Employee Health Commission, workers earning $30,000 or less could earn their way back to fully paid premiums, those earning $30,001 to $79,999 could earn their way back to up to 95 percent paid premiums, and those earning $80,000 and up could earn their way back to up to 92.5 percent paid premiums.

These cuts affecting state workers are now part of the overall two-year state budget that will go to the House and Senate for voting.


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