|
|
Sunday, November 22, 2009
- The Advocate eEdition
- |
- Wedding Forms
- |
- Newsletters
- |
- Text Alerts
- |
- Mobile
- |
- RSS
- |
State government pay plan vote delayed
Arthur D. Lauck/The Advocate
State Civil Service Commission members James Smith, left, and Lee Griffin confer Wednesday at the conclusion of a public hearing concerning new classified state employee rules covering pay raises. The commission postponed action on the proposal until December.
The state Civil Service Commission postponed action Wednesday on a plan that would end 4 percent annual pay raises granted to most of the state’s 60,000-plus classified employees.
The seven-member panel, which oversees state government’s personnel system, set a Dec. 8 night-time public hearing so employees won’t have to get special permission to leave their day jobs to participate.
Commission chairman James Smith said commissioners would likely vote on the proposal the next day, on Dec. 9.
Smith said he was concerned about the limited employee response in the month since the proposal was put forth. “We are hearing there is a lot of fear,” he said.
Commission vice chairman John McLure, said employees also should be told they can file anonymous written comments.
“We should afford state employees every opportunity to express themselves without any fear of retribution or intimidation,” Smith said. “We are changing something that’s been in effect for many, many years.”
There were 95 written comments submitted in advance of the hearing — most opposed the pay rule changes that would take effect July 1, 2010, provided the commission then Gov. Bobby Jindal approve.
About a dozen people testified against the plan that would give agency executives authority to decide whether employees should be granted pay raises and how much, if any. Raises would be given within maximums set in the proposed pay policy.
Favoritism, politics and state fiscal concerns — not employee job performance — would rule under the proposal, opponents said.
“This has the potential to be a good thing except for the good old boy system. It’s like nuclear power has the potential to be a good thing except for nuclear bombs,” said Paul Wilson, a corrections officer.
“This is trying to balance the budget on the backs of state employees and it’s just not right,” said Johnette Patterson.
Today, classified state government workers whose job performances meet or exceed expectations or rate outstanding get a 4 percent pay raise on the anniversary of their employment.
If the change to Chapter 6 of the civil service rules is approved, a worker’s job performance would be graded by supervisors just as it is today. Those employees who meet expectations could get up to a 3 percent raise — 1 percent lower than the 4 percent of today; those who exceed expectations up to 4 percent and those who rate outstanding up to 6 percent.
But employees could get nothing or less than the Civil Service maximum even if they qualify if bosses decide the raises don’t fit into the “business plan” of the agency.
Civil Service director Shannon Templet said there is no way to know how the proposal will affect the pay of some 60,000 rank-and-file workers who have job protection through Civil Service.
Today, withholding state employee pay raises is an option that agencies can use to avoid layoffs. That would no longer be an option to avoid layoffs under the pay policy, she said.
Former state corrections secretary Richard Stalder said Civil Service should analyze how agencies approach employee ratings. Inequities could destroy the “credibility” of the proposed system, he said.
Too often an overload of administrators get the outstanding ratings, Stalder said.
Gary Spillman, a former Baton Rouge firefighter, said the state is looking at budget cuts next budget year. He fears that state employees, who already are paid less than comparable workers in the private sector, will brunt of the efforts balance state government spending.
« Back to index
Share this:
| First Name* | |
| Last Name* | |
| Email* | |
| Comments* | |
| * required fields | |
Please enter the text in the image | |
