Civil Service panel delays vote on pay plan, seeks comments

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Nov 5, 2009 - Page: 1A

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

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, 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, provided that first the commission and 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,” Johnette Patterson said.

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.