Because of the high rate of inflation, the July COLAs are calculated based on 60 percent of CPI-W, which translates to a bump of 3.6 percent as of July 2021. Finance panel: Next CT tax fairness study must focus on inequality, CT budget battle heats up as Lamont offers rosy financial picture, State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. State retirees receive minimum 2 percent COLAs per year regardless of the inflation rate and a maximum of 6 percent or 7.5 percent, depending on their retirement tier. Several Republican lawmakers decried the deal and said it would exacerbate Connecticuts fiscal woes. Were losing some of our best and brightest as they seek other parts of the country where its easier to make a living. 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. Employees would also get a $2,500 bonus if they are employed as of March 31, 2022, and a $1,000 if they are employed July 1, 2022. 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. 2016 CT.gov | Connecticut's Official State Website, regular Connecticut holds $3.1 billion in its rainy day fund, equal to 15% of annual operating costs the maximum allowed by law. 3.2K views, 182 likes, 87 loves, 302 comments, 161 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Victory Channel: The Victory Channel is LIVE with Victory News! April 23, 2023 . Despite Lamonts claims to the contrary, it is highly likely that he will award state employees significant future wage increases as well as a generous modification of cost-of-living adjustments to their pensions after their retirement. Critics say the deal is too generous and could lead to future tax hikes. What will our elected officials be working on to improve policy outcomes for Connecticut residents? So, more outsourcing would compound the squeeze on the nonprofits, either rendering their condition even more precarious or necessitating a significant increase in their reimbursement rates. 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. The Democrat-controlled House voted 96-52 to approve the contracts, after a four-hour debate during which Republicans insisted the compensation far outstrips what private-sector workers are receiving, or what taxpayers can afford. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. That sum hasnt changed much in two decades. Each year includes a 2.5% general wage increase, as well as a step hike for all but the most senior workers. Not this weeks data release showing that the median American household saw its income fall 2.9 percent last year while Connecticut state employees got a 5.5 percent wage increase. People know not to bring paper in here, said Josh Geballe, a former IBM executive and tech entrepreneur. 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Deserves got nothing to do with it, Rep. Thomas ODea, R-Ledyard, said, citing the famous dialogue Clint Eastwoods Western outlaw uttered in Unforgiven, the 1992 Academy Award-winning film. Find State Employee Benefits, Union Contractions, Equal Employment Opportunity Information, Tuition Reimbursement . But Gov. We have three years to plan for that, Geballe said. 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. House and Senate negotiators expressed optimism Monday as they began trading budget proposals, despite gaps in spending over issues such as public schools, land preservation and tourism marketing. Government bureaucracies are notoriously resistant to change, layered with the accretion of rules, processes, union contracts, all contributing to a workplace culture. Ned Lamont contracted with the Boston Consulting Group for a report of how to increase state government efficiency. In the past 10 years, the number of management-level state employees has dropped from 2,000 to 1,400, with nearly all of them choosing to leave their posts to join bargaining units and another 60 petitions currently pending, McCaw said. How will state and local budgets be affected by fewer federal resources? Critics also balk at the cost. They also cover the next two fiscal years and potentially 2024-25 as well. font size, Human Resources Business Rules and Regulations. Meanwhile, too much of the states work still is done on paper, and the information that is collected digitally cannot be easily shared among agencies, Geballe said. 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. "Today is Tax Day People want to know where their tax dollars are going, said Kim Healy, a GOP Wilton selectman running for the Connecticut House of Representatives. The state usually experiences 2,000 to 2,500 annual state employee retirements, according to the CT Mirror. Were still largely in a world by the way, very similar to most every other state where there are numerous processes which are still paper based, which are still highly manual, which rely on very old custom software, Geballe said. For the average pensioner, receiving $39,887 per year, the COLA increase would amount to an annual increase of $1,435.92. Today were living in a post-COVID world, where employees and not employers are ruling the job market, said Sen. Cathy Osten, D-Sprague, co-chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee. As a 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. Bonuses would be prorated for part-time employees. As a Geballe is commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, the blandly named agency at the heart of the state bureaucracy. State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition. Its also imperative that we do so. The minimum wage in Connecticut is scheduled to increase to $15 per hour on June 1, 2023. . Ned Lamont's administration and already ratified by the 35 . Some of the features on CT.gov will not function properly with out javascript enabled. As a federal EPA employee recently told the Washingtonian in a piece about the Trump administration, I fully intend to outlast these people.. The Senate gave final approval by a 22-13 vote on a plan to give unionized state workers a set of raises and bonuses. The full General Assembly is expected to vote on it as early as this week. One lump sum payment retroactive to 2021 with full-time employees receiving $2,500 and part-time employees receiving a prorated amount $1,000 lump sum payment effective fiscal 2023 and prorated for part-time employees "I'm very concerned this is unsustainable, opponent Kevin Maloney told lawmakers at a public hearing Monday. Hed also like to talk about a classification system that is flexible and provides a career ladder. [your comment section will not enable me to type this in lower case] stop with the money illusion. Lamonts predecessor, Dannel Malloy, once boasted to a union gathering, I am your servant. Lamont is also in public (union) service, willingly or not. Gusty winds add new twist to brush fires in CT, officials say, What's next for the nuclear waste that's been in CT for 50 years, Building emissions are a key climate change contributor in CT, After decades in unmarked grave, CT homicide victim put to rest. Going forward, these employees will be entitled to receive wage and benefit provisions that their union counterparts will receive, per language the governors office included in the 837-page budget implementer bill passed this legislative session, McCaw said. The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates the package will cost the state $1.87 billion over four years. CT Gov. Republicans countered Friday that the raises and bonuses far outstrip what households in the private sector are receiving. Some Republicans have said the hefty bonuses are only an election-year stunt from Lamont, a Democrat, to shore up his standing with his labor base. Though the list of reforms may be exhausting to review, it is far from exhaustive! The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Workers and Clerical Workers known as the CPI-W increased 6 percent between July of 2020 and July of 2021, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the price of nearly everything increasing substantially in recent months. That is the status quo.. Gusty winds add new twist to brush fires in CT, officials say, What's next for the nuclear waste that's been in CT for 50 years, Building emissions are a key climate change contributor in CT, After decades in unmarked grave, CT homicide victim put to rest. /. The long session, as non-election years are called in Hartford, will be centered around the biennial budget. Part-timers would be eligible for prorated bonuses. The contracts allow workers to accept the $2,500 extra payment and still retire before July 1. CONNECTICUT The state Senate gave final approval to the raise and bonus package for state employees. But the Lamont administration is facing a gathering wave of retirements, producing a sense of urgency that Geballe says is shared by labor and management. ALERT: Tell lawmakers to vote NO on the TCI Gas Tax Loophole that forces CT residents to pay unlimited energy taxes! 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. The easiest way out of the crisis is to keep employees on board by offering them generous pay and benefit incentives. will call the "2022 Changes") go into effect as of July 1, 2022(the "Effective Date"). Josh Geballe, the commissioner of administrative services. 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. Theres no way to take on the legacy of mass incarceration other than to undo it, one step at a time. 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. The contracts, which Gov. There will be no guaranteed minimum for those who retire after July 1, 2022, and their first potential COLA would come in 30 months, not 12. 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. If you value the story you just read please consider making a donation. Lamont will give big fat raises to state workers, Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Police: Two men arrested after pulling gun at Stratford gym, Police: Homeowner scares off burglar in Trumbull, Milford robotics team wins division at international contest, Power restored after 1,500 outages reported in Fairfield, Police: CT woman lied about fake cops robbing her of $15K, M&T Bank backs push to diversify Bridgeport's nonprofit boards, Only a third of young Bridgeport students reading at grade level, Bridgeport's building chief: Remington was 'imminent danger', Bridgeport schools officials plead for added funding, CT doctor gets 4 years for fraud, illegally recruiting patients, the median American household saw its income fall 2.9 percent last year, CT records first cases of new COVID variant Arcturus, transmission remains low, 5 cute towns, cities and neighborhoods in CT to visit for a spring day, Connecticut women charged with stealing nearly $17K from public assistance programs, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky wears blazer lined with UConn logo in honor of men's basketball title: 'Go puppies', Former UConn women's basketball star Lou Lopez Snchal sidelined to start Dallas Wings training camp, Power restored to 1,500 customers in Fairfield after tree falls on utility lines. During that time Connecticuts average pension payment increased 15 percent from $34.589 in 2015 to $39,887 in 2020. Thats when more stringent limits on state retirement benefits, negotiated as part of a 2017 concessions deal with unions, take effect. This proposed contract is a raw deal for the working people of this state, Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich) said. Republicans also said they appreciate the hard work of state employees, particularly during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, but the issue isnt as simple as some believe. That marked a 9 percent increase from the previous year, which was the largest yearover-year change since at least 2014-2015, according to a CT Insider analysis of data from the . That will be followed by 2.5 percent raises on July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023. Thats something we certainly need to work on here.. They are our people, who we count on each day to make us safe, she said. Julia Bergman is a former reporter with Hearst Connecticut Media Group. Automation is a word that makes unions nervous, even as they acknowledge the nature of work is changing. 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. 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. The Lamont administration, labor leaders and other supporters of the increases have said they believe unions could have gotten even larger raises had they rejected the states offer and gone to arbitration. State government not only enjoys a $3.1 billion rainy day fund, equal to 15% of annual operating costs the maximum allowed by law but the current fiscal year is on pace to close an unprecedented $4 billion in the black. That includes Gov. When that expires in 2024, the states fiscal position could turn, some lawmakers argue, particularly if the national inflation rate which topped 7% last year and exceeds 8% early in 2022 remains high. What can be done to lower home heating bills? DAgostino said he believes arbitrators would have awarded unions annual cost-of-living raises of 3% or 3.5% given the state governments enhanced ability to pay. But the journey to get from here to there, and the ordering of initiatives, is very complex to think about.. Retired Connecticut state employees will see a substantial bump to their pension payments as a result of increasing economic inflation. Weve seen clerical workers go from a high of almost 9,000 to 4,000.. The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 22-13 along party lines to approve the contracts, which cover about 46,000 workers the bulk of the states workforce. The. Outside his 15th-floor office in a downtown Hartford complex is a big empty space once occupied by file cabinets. The agreement includes: 2.5% general wage increases in each of fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024. Connecticuts pension COLAs, however, are set for a change one year from now prompting concerns over a potential surge in state employee retirements. The Malloy administration hired a customer-service expert to improve service at the much-maligned Department of Motor Vehicles, and Lamont won passage of legislation reducing the need for residents to go to the DMV: Drivers licenses now are good for eight years, not six; and renewals of vehicle registrations come every three years, not two. November 3, 2021 @ Ned Lamont speaks at a news conference at Connecticuts Beardsley Zoo, in Bridgeport, Conn. March 29, 2021. The [nonprofit] industry pegs the inflationary loss its taking on these payments at $460 million per year, according to the CT Mirror. The agreement would cost the state nearly $1.9 billion over four fiscal years, according to nonpartisan fiscal analysts. In addition, full-time workers would receive a $2,500 bonus in mid-May and another $1,000 bonus in mid-July. We had more people employed in the private sector in 2007 than we do today. But its unclear if the bonuses will stop many workers, since they can still collect the $2,500 bonus even if they retire anyway. The contracts allow workers to accept the $2,500 extra payment and still retire before July 1. 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. Dannel Malloy included a provision to change the COLAs for state employees who retire after July 1, 2022. The agreements, which unions ratified earlier this spring, are retroactive to the start of this fiscal year, which began last July 1. It is unsustainable and, more plainly, unjust. Private-sector employees can only dream of having that, said Sen. Henri Martin, R-Bristol. This is a carousel. As we noted in a report andCT Mirrorop-ed last year, the debate over whether were in a national recession really misses the point for Connecticut residents. Based on the statutes governing Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) for CTRB members, the Connecticut Teachers' Retirement Board will be granting COLA as follows. State law calls for equity in salary adjustments between union and non-union employees. The managers who will receive the raises include division heads at state agencies, as well as commissioners and. And while some criticized the bonuses, the Hamden lawmaker and others say they would save the state money over the long haul. Prior to joining CT Mirror Keith was State Capitol bureau chief for The Journal Inquirer of Manchester, a reporter for the Day of New London, and a former contributing writer to The New York Times. 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. Employees who retire after that date will get less lucrative retirement benefits. Lamont could rehire retired workers as independent contractors, but then he would be paying those fees as well as funding retirement benefits. Anniversary Date (AI Date) Change for Certain Non-Represented Employees (E-Item 2271), Changes Anniversary Date from July 1 to January 1 for employees assigned to the MP, MD, SE, DM, CJ & VR, Labor units 02 & 03 pay plans, DAS General Letter 193 - Anniversary Date (AI Date) for Classes Covered by Collective Bargaining, Procedures for establishing anniversary dates for employees covered by collective bargaining agreements, Salary Increase - Cost of Living (COLA) for Certain Non-Represented Employees (E-Item 2090), Authorizes 3% Cost of Living Increase effective July 1, 2014 to employees assigned to the MP, MD, SE, DM, CJ-EX & VR, Labor units 02 & 03 pay plans, Salary Increase - Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) & Annual Increase (AI) for Associate Attorney Generals (E-Item 2002), Authorizes a 3% Cost of Living Increase and a 3% Annual Increment not to exceed the maximum of the salary grade for Associate Attorney Generals, Salary Increase - Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Certain Non-Represented Employees (E-Item 1935), Authorizes 3% Cost of Living Increase effective July 1, 2013 to employees assigned to the MP, MD, SE, DM, CJ-EX & VR, Labor units 02 & 03 pay plans, Salary Increase - Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Certain Non-Represented Employees (E-Item 1942), Authorizes 3% Cost of Living Increase effective July 1, 2013 to specific titles assigned to the EX pay plan, Salary Increase - Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Certain Non-Represented Employees (E-Item 2091), Authorizes 3% Cost of Living Increase effective July 1, 2014 for certain employees assigned to the EX pay plan, Salary Increase and Pay Plan Adjustments for Certain Non-Represented Employees (E-Item 2147), Authorizes a Certain Percentage salary adjustment based upon most recent pay increase for certain employees assigned to the EX pay plan, adjusts the EX pay plan and effective January 1, 2016 pay increases for EX mirrors MP, Salary Increase Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Certain Non Represented Employees E Item 2664, Authorizes 3.5% Cost of Living Increase effective July 1, 2019 to employees assigned to the MP, MD, SE, DM, CJ-EX & VR, Labor units 02 & 03 pay plans, Salary Increase Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Certain Non-Represented Employees (E-Item 2665), Authorizes 3.5% Cost of Living Adjustment to certain employees who are assigned to Bargaining Unit 01 effective July 1, 2019, My hypothesis coming in was that there are going to be more similarities to how we solve some of the challenges we have than differences, private to public, Geballe said. SEBAC employees who are employed before March . Glidden said the Malloy administration made overtures about a labor-management review of state government in concession talks in 2011 and again in 2017. In addition, full-time workers would receive a $2,500 bonus in mid-May and another $1,000 bonus in mid-July. There is ample evidence that this is a fair contract, a reasonable contract, an affordable contract, she said of Connecticuts wage hikes. Some Republicans have said the hefty bonuses are only an election-year stunt from Lamont, a Democrat, to shore up his standing with his labor base. State finances also are being supported this fiscal year and next by about $3 billion in emergency federal pandemic relief. With the benefit of five and a half months, Im increasingly confident that is true.. I dont believe, fundamentally, that this agreement is fair at all..
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