Marc was a 2014 Robert Novak Journalism Fellow and his work has appeared in The Federalist, American Thinker, The Skeptical Inquirer, World Net Daily and Real Clear Policy. Lawmaker Proposes Pay Raises | CT News Junkie The Senate gave final approval Friday to a four-year package of raises for state employees that includes $3,500 in bonuses to help stem a surge in worker retirements. 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Laura Devlin, R- Fairfield, who is campaigning for lieutenant governor as the running mate of GOP gubernatorial contender Bob Stefanowski of Madison. As a State of Connecticut employee you may be entitled to a host of benefits that are not only attractive, but also may be portable should your career . The deal is now final since the state Senate and House approved it. Watching is one of those who spoke against it, Sen. Craig Miner. Gov. A wave of state employee retirements is expected in the coming months, resulting in an "unprecedented" loss of knowledge and skills, some officials say. Automation is a word that makes unions nervous, even as they acknowledge the nature of work is changing. building a betterand more civilConnecticut to live, work, and play. While we wait to see the thousands of individual and committee bills that while dominate the myriad policy debates this year, Yankee Institute is hard at work promoting free-market solutions to the problems we face from Stamford to Putnam and Mystic to Salisbury. And while some criticized the bonuses, the Hamden lawmaker and others say they would save the state money over the long haul. Please reload the page and try again. The $2,000 payment will only be available to employees who were hired or appointed before June 30, 2018. Fazio said it reflects the pull unions have on state government, and that taxpayers will end up footing the bill. The one thing we know about Ned Lamont or any Democrat, for that matter is that he will not fight the unions. Whoops! The state and unions have the option of continuing the same level of raises for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, or they can negotiate different compensation levels. For some of Connecticuts highest paid pensioners like Jack Blechner, a former UConn Health Center physician who received $342,325.14 in 2020, the COLA amounts to an additional $12,323.70 per year. You cannot be supportive of state workers and the services they provide without being supportive of the necessary funding to ensure that these positions are properly staffed, SEBAC wrote in a statement after the vote. Any wage hikes and benefits would come on the heels of big wage increases in 2019 and 2020 under the old wage contract, which expired this past summer. We were trying to get people not to retire well, thats not what this agreement does, said Sen. Craig Miner of Litchfield, ranking GOP senator on the Appropriations Committee. By the latest estimates of the comptroller's office, 14,764 state employees a quarter of the workforce will be eligible to retire on July 1, 2022, when a concession deal negotiated in . Thirty percent intend to leave the state upon retirement. Geballe is commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, the blandly named agency at the heart of the state bureaucracy. How did state higher education system get into this financial mess The plan, negotiated by Gov. While annual retirements usually range from 2,000 to 2,500 per calendar year, more than 3,400 state employees have either retired or filed their written intentions to do so between January and March 31, 2022, alone. Each of the 3.6 million residents in Connecticut rely on the critical public services state workers provide whether you are standing in line at the DMV, attending a technical school, community college or state university, getting treatment at UConn Health, driving on our roads and bridges, enjoying a state park or beach, or any of the other ubiquitous public services you will be uplifted by these fair and honorable contracts, the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition wrote in a statement after the Senate vote. By 2020, the state paid $2.2 billion to 55,348 retirees. People know not to bring paper in here, said Josh Geballe, a former IBM executive and tech entrepreneur. Does not automatically renew. As many as 13,000 state employees will be eligible for retirement by July 2022, according to the state Comptroller's office. As a BCG was to help accelerate efficiency efforts, enabling the state to operate with less manpower. Keith has spent most of his 31 years as a reporter specializing in state government finances, analyzing such topics as income tax equity, waste in government and the complex funding systems behind Connecticuts transportation and social services networks. The easiest way out of the crisis is to keep employees on board by offering them generous pay and benefit incentives. GOP minority says taxpayers got a raw deal, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Its also done with the best financial interests of the state at heart.. Marc can be reached at, Connecticut saw a 1,600 decrease in nonfarm industry positions in December, while November private sector gains (3,300) were revised down [], Eviction cases in Hartford and Bridgeport have remained far below historical averages since the Supreme Court overturned the federal eviction []. They also cover the next two fiscal years and potentially 2024-25 as well. House passes raises, bonuses for CT state employees State government coffers have swelled since 2018, due in large part to a robust stock market that has bolstered income tax receipts tied to capital gains and other investment earnings. The $3 billion in budget reserves and $4 billion in projected surplus pales in comparison with the $95.4 billion in long-term unfunded obligations Connecticut has, ODea said, referring to the combined pension, retirement health care and bonded debt the Lamont administration listed last November in its annual Fiscal Accountability Report. I dont believe, fundamentally, that this agreement is fair at all.. The agreement would cost the state nearly $1.9 billion over four fiscal years, according to nonpartisan fiscal analysts. Employees who retire after that date will get less lucrative retirement benefits. 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Negotiators will meet again to determine raises after the time period. But we have a bonus that starts after July 1. Find State Employee Benefits, Union Contractions, Equal Employment Opportunity Information, Tuition Reimbursement . Each year includes a 2.5% general wage increase, as well as a step hike for all but the most senior workers. But that surge followed a nearly decade-long stretch in which state tax receipts from the same source badly underperformed. For retirements prior to June 30, 2022, these cumulative raises will be paid each year on either January 1st or July 1st depending on your date of retirement (DOR). In a letter to his co-chair in management, Rinker wrote: I predict that some day some one will want to change state employment and the report you signed off on wil be the basis for that change., Change is coming for Connecticut state employees, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Police: Pedestrian killed in crash on Route 9 in Middletown, Police: Horses starved, kept in unsanitary conditions on CT farm, Middletown to restart Bird e-bike, scooter microtransit program, Middletown residents cheer decision to fully replace Pameacha dam, Cromwell man sentenced for carjacking date at knifepoint in 2020, Police: Suspect in Cromwell hotel robbery threatened to use a gun, Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim begins campaign for 2nd term, 2 Middletown youths charged in connection with school fight, Middlesex County Historical Society to receive 3 historic objects, East Hampton fire department marks 100 years with Bevin cowbells, Police: Pedestrian struck, killed in Route 9 crash in Middletown, New Britain bar's liquor license suspended after serving alcohol to minors, officials say, Police: Horses starved and kept in unsanitary conditions on Middletown property, Police: Threat made to Middletown schools deemed not credible, CT records first cases of new COVID variant Arcturus, transmission remains low, Police: Mystic woman killed, mother and daughter seriously hurt in Gold Star Highway crash in Groton. And Lamont reported this week that the current fiscal years budget is projected to close on June 30 with an unprecedented $3.95 billion surplus, equal to nearly 20% of entire General Fund. Hartford lawyer Daniel Livingston, chief negotiator for the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, or SEBAC, estimated that going with one-time bonuses and a smaller 2.5% annual cost-of-living raise saves the state about $150 million over the next decade. The. Ned Lamont believes it will keep critical state workers on the job. Pay raise for 46,000 state workers clears key hurdle - News 12 Networks Connecticut state workers to get $3,500 in bonuses under tentative deal But overall, as agency heads told Geballe as he made the rounds in January and February, the states hiring process still is cumbersome, with rarely updated job classifications that are numerous, narrowly drawn and can require their own tests. Connecticut Property Taxes In Every Town: Who Pays The Most? Geballe said the administration has a vision of where to go with technology, primarily by offering consumers and businesses a digital portal to state government. Ned Lamont in Darien earlier this month. /. To that end, we have produced a new edition of our Charter for Change. I think all of the stakeholders lament it, but then find the excuses for why we cant change it. More than 30 state employee bargaining units have ratified contracts that would provide more than 40,000 workers with $3,500 in bonuses by July, along with three years of raises, the State. Why? Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are How will schools be implementing to curriculum requirements? Virtually everyone in the state knows the situation and feels it is unfair. The vote was almost entirely along party lines, with all Democrats casting ballots for the deal and only one Republican, Thomas Delnicki of South Windsor, supporting it. We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. Part-timers would be eligible for prorated bonuses. Keith is a graduate of and a former journalism instructor at the University of Connecticut. House passes raises, bonuses for CT state employees By Keith M. Phaneuf / CTMirror.org Published April 21, 2022 at 5:22 PM EDT The House of Representatives approved a four-year package of raises Thursday that includes $3,500 in bonuses later this spring and summer for about 46,000 unionized state employees. 0:36. In exchange for lifting the debt ceiling, the bill would cap overall 2024 spending to 2022 levels -- about a $130 billion cut -- and limit growth in spending to 1% annually over the next decade. Required fields are marked *. The raises would cost the town about a half . State unions ratify contracts granting raises and $3,500 bonuses 1 week of full access. By, Corporate Support: Advertising & Sponsorship, See stories by Keith M. Phaneuf / CTMirror.org, Love Wins at WCSU benefit concert for saxophonists daughter lost at Sandy Hook, Week in CT News: Se'Cret Pierce killing, what's in our water, Zero interest loans are back for some home buyers in Connecticut, Erica Lafferty has been fighting since Sandy Hook. It was covered recently in goals and ideas tossed around in a brainstorming exercise, then numbered as priorities. Those who challenge government actions for the right reasons could be forever barred from political office unjustly by this law. The board has voted to approve the following cost of living increase for January 2023. It is unsustainable and, more plainly, unjust. 4.28.23 We are LIVE with our 11 am/CT. Ned Lamont's administration and already ratified by the 35 . Published April 18, 2022 at 3:52 PM EDT. Ned Lamont's administration and a coalition of . "I'm very concerned this is unsustainable, opponent Kevin Maloney told lawmakers at a public hearing Monday. And Lamont reported this week that the current fiscal years budget is projected to close on June 30 with an unprecedented $3.95 billion surplus, equal to nearly 20% of entire General Fund. The changes will only affect those who retire after July of 2022, but according to the OLR report, historically such changes have resulted in a larger number of employees retiring before the cut-off date. More than 3,400 state employees have either retired or filed their written intentions to do so between January and March 31 alone, and that total is expected to grow considerably between now and July 1. This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Publics Members Each of the 3.6 million residents in Connecticut rely on the critical public services state workers provide whether you are standing in line at the DMV, attending a technical school, community college or state university, getting treatment at UConn Health, driving on our roads and bridges, enjoying a state park or beach, or any of the other ubiquitous public services you will be uplifted by these fair and honorable contracts, the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition wrote in a statement after the Senate vote. In the past, similar planned changes to retirement benefits have triggered waves of retirements before the changes take place, the OLR report states. Hed also like to talk about a classification system that is flexible and provides a career ladder. The state of Connecticut is in the best financial condition that I can recall, being up here 10 years, said Rep. Michael DAgostino, D-Hamden, who led the debate in favor of the raises. Sal Luciano, a former social worker who is the president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, said many state agencies are understaffed. Ned Lamont and president of state's network of community colleges square off in showdown over state funding. Connecticut State Employees Retirement System Tier II/IIa Workshop CT Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. Thermo Fisher Scientific bought the company the same year. Critics say the deal is too generous and could lead to future tax hikes. Breaking from the status quo is very hard I think for people generally, but particularly in government, where you dont have competition the same way you do in the private sector, where if you dont change, if you dont innovate, if you dont find new ways to add value, eventually you go out of business and everybody loses their job. But Osten said the agreements are essential to maintain a state workforce that is at its smallest size since the 1950s, an argument Lamont has made as well. Retired Connecticut state employees will see a substantial bump to their pension payments as a result of increasing economic inflation. 10:27 pm, When will REtirees see the 6% in pensions im tier 2, TO vinny, you get The first increase 9 months after you retire, 60% of CPI W. Connecticut is facing pressure from the private sector, municipalities and other states for its workers, Osten said, adding that the pandemic has made many state jobs less attractive. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. A proposal to give every full-time employee a $10,000 raise next year is causing some division among leaders in the town of Ellettsville. 0:04. Dannel Malloy included a provision to change the COLAs for state employees who retire after July 1, 2022. And thats why we want to work with you to build a broad-based coalition to encourage sound policy reforms to enable Connecticut residents to forge a better future for themselves and their families. Josh Geballe, the states chief operating officer and commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, said state agency heads have found it difficult to promote top performers in their departments because the employees would either have to take a pay cut or worry they wont be afforded the same prospective increases as those in bargaining units.
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