Civil Service Commission defers pay proposal

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Apr 3, 2008 - Page: 1A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The state Civil Service Commission deferred action Wednesday on proposed pay raises for thousands of state workers — waiting on Gov. Bobby Jindal’s response.

Civil Service Director Anne Soileau said Jindal’s chief money manager Angéle Davis asked the commission to wait until its May meeting to take up the pay plan.

“They basically asked us for more information,” Soileau said.

The plans would raise minimum pay for thousands of state employees, as part of Civil Service attempts for state government to better compete with the private sector for employees.

Soileau told lawmakers last month the state’s employment agency struggles to attract employees to fill necessary jobs because of higher outside pay.

Jindal must sign off on whatever plan is adopted by the commission in order for it to take effect.

The commission generally waits for the governor’s decision before taking action so it does not approve a plan without a funding commitment.

Three options have been submitted to Jindal’s budget planners that could bring anywhere from 3 percent to 10 percent pay raises to many workers. Some 7,400 employees could be affected.

Costs would range from $2 million to $10.4 million, including pay and related benefits.

Civil Service establishes job categories and pay ranges for jobs within them. The Civil Service proposals would increase the minimum or entry level pay within those ranges.

On Wednesday, Davis issued a statement in response to questions about the status of pay plan review.

“At my instruction, the budget office is working with Civil Service on a businesslike analysis of the data and that analysis is not yet complete,” Davis wrote in an e-mail.

Davis, who is Jindal’s commissioner of administration, also said her office is preparing to reactivate the Human Resources Estimating Conference “to help address this and other matters related to state employees.”