[your comment section will not enable me to type this in lower case] stop with the money illusion. I would say that largely we havent seen that partnership happen, but we continue to have the door wide open, Glidden said. "The state has to live within its means just like the families and businesses we serve and represent," Lamont said in a statement when the deal was announced. The new deal will bring Microsoft 365 software to all state agencies. As a Part-timers would be eligible for prorated bonuses. In 2015, Connecticut paid $1.7 billion to 49,111 retirees, according to the Comptroller's Open Pension website. The package was previously approved by the House. Beginning after the July 1, 2022 cut off, the State has relinquished their obligation to adjust pension payments at least 2% (current minimum) for inflation. Last March, in a report that received relatively little media coverage, Boston Consulting Group documented that 27 percent of the state workforce is eligible to retire before June 30, 2022, and that about three-quarters lean toward retirement. Our product, Incentmax, is a dedicated sales incentive & performance management technology that links business goals with Sales reps & Customer facing team members' variable payments or Incentives/commissions, helping the increase in 5-10 % sales target achievement. There are also new bonuses: $2,500 next month and an extra $1,000 in mid-July. Theres no way to take on the legacy of mass incarceration other than to undo it, one step at a time. The states robust, short-term fiscal position is a sugar high that will pass when the federal stimulus money goes away, ODea said. This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Publics Members The nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates the contract will cost the state $1.87 billion over three years. As many as 13,000 state employees will be eligible for retirement by July 2022, according to the state Comptroller's office. DAS is the states landlord and construction manager, its hiring hall and purchasing agent, and, perhaps most vitally in the digital age, its information technology office. 13 Week Package - $38.87 / 13 Weeks. Private-sector employees can only dream of having that, said Sen. Henri Martin, R-Bristol. Currently, the only way to advance in most agencies is for someone to retire, leaving a specific job open. 2016 CT.gov | Connecticut's Official State Website, regular See 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 $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. An arbitrator had already awarded some unions a 3% general wage hike for 2021-22 before Lamont and labor negotiators settled on a smaller cost-of-living bump and bonuses. When the CPI-W rises above 2 percent, those retirees will receive either 2 percent or a percentage of the rate of inflation, depending on how high the rate rises. 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. 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. The raises provided to state managers mirror what the state provided to union workers over the past four years under the 2017 agreement with the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition. 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. Last March, in a report that received relatively little media coverage, Boston Consulting Group documented that 27 percent of the state workforce is eligible to retire before June 30, 2022, and. The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition represents 35 different bargaining units and more than 40,000 state employees. 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. Get CT Mirror briefings with enterprise reporting, investigations and more in your inbox daily. Why? Gov. (Sorry for the caps, wont let me shift), Hope McKiernan Glidden is now engaged with the administration on the possibility of some state government professionals teleworking. The non-unionized managers will receive a one-time bonus of $2,000 and 7.5% in wage increases, including a 3.5% cost-of-living increase and up to 4% annual increments. 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. Negotiators will meet again to determine raises after the time period. That will be followed by 2.5 percent raises on July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023. Social Security has announced that they will be granting a cost of living increase of 8.7% for 2023. They are our people, who we count on each day to make us safe, she said. The state is also hoping the increases will also attract more people to state-level management positions. Connecticut Public Radio | Because the state is facing a massive retirement wave, which, if mishandled, could cripple state government. Dannel Malloy included a provision to change the COLAs for state employees who retire after July 1, 2022. The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates the package will cost the state $1.87 billion over four years. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Hazard or pandemic pay wasnt part of the negotiations, but will be resolved as part of another agreement, Lamont said. 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. Ned Lamont previously touted. Part-timers would be eligible for prorated bonuses. State law calls for equity in salary adjustments between union and non-union employees. The full General Assembly is expected to vote on it as early as this week. They also cover the next two fiscal years and potentially 2024-25 as well. In an effort to mitigate the potential loss of thousands of state employees, Gov. Required fields are marked *. 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. SEBAC employees who are employed before March . Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . The minimum 2 percent COLA also means that during years in which inflation was low, they still got a boost over the inflation rate. 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. This proposed contract is a raw deal for the working people of this state, said Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-Greenwich, who noted state workers, on average, would receive more than $10,000 in total added compensation over four years. "I come out of the private sector. So, it is a safe bet that Lamont will sign a juicy new wage contract with SEBAC. 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. But most House Republicans who spoke in Thursdays debate predicted taxpayers wouldnt be as happy as state employee unions are. Ned Lamont, a cable-television entrepreneur who took office on January 9 and hired Geballe two weeks later. Access all Premium Content and the E-Edition for 1 day. Please reload the page and try again. Ned Lamont says are essential to help stem a surge in state employee retirements, are expected to be ratified Friday by the Senate, where Democrats also hold a majority. Each year includes a 2.5% general wage increase, as well as a step hike for all but the most senior workers. The raises would cost the town about a half . But the journey to get from here to there, and the ordering of initiatives, is very complex to think about.. Good question Hope I cant find the answer either. Changes to state employee retirement benefits will go into effect in July of 2022 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 CREATES report noted that 8,000 employees are eligible for retirement before July 2022 and identified 200 opportunities totaling $600 to $900 million of potential value., **Ken Girardin contributed to this article**, So of you retire prior to October 2021 and receive Your Cola 9 monthe later in July 2022 , will you receive above the normal 2 percent since inflation Is hIgh. Outside his 15th-floor office in a downtown Hartford complex is a big empty space once occupied by file cabinets. Marc E. Fitch is the author of several books and novels including Shmexperts: How Power Politics and Ideology are Disguised as Science and Paranormal Nation: Why America Needs Ghosts, UFOs and Bigfoot. 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, Administrations come and go, taking with them their priorities. The easiest way out of the crisis is to keep employees on board by offering them generous pay and benefit incentives. It seems that JavaScript is not working in your browser. The increases, part of a four-year package negotiated by Gov. This proposed contract is a raw deal for the working people of this state, said Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-Greenwich, who noted state workers, on average, would receive more than $10,000 in total added compensation over four years. And that total is expected to grow considerably between now and July 1. It was covered recently in goals and ideas tossed around in a brainstorming exercise, then numbered as priorities. 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. That is the status quo.. 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. 2:19 pm. A wave of state employee retirements is expected in the coming months, resulting in an "unprecedented" loss of knowledge and skills, some officials say. More than 3,400 state employees have retired or have filed written intention to retire this year, but that number is expected to increase before July 1. 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. She noted that West Virginia recently granted state employees a 5% raise, while Arizona bumped pay for its correction officers by 20% and for workers in many other departments by 10%. Thermo Fisher Scientific bought the company the same year. By 2020, the state paid $2.2 billion to 55,348 retirees. 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. Topics you care about, straight to your inbox, More than 46,000 Connecticut state employees could soon get a significant raise -- and bonuses thanks to a new union. This is a carousel. Watching is one of those who spoke against it, Sen. Craig Miner. Thats something we certainly need to work on here.. The budget is expected to be a record high for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which will start July 1. But we have a bonus that starts after July 1. But more than that, this is a necessary contract so that we can hold on to the best and brightest.. 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. Connecticut holds $3.1 billion in its rainy day fund, equal to 15% of annual operating costs the maximum allowed by law. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are It will slow cost-of-living adjustments for all new retirees and raise health costs for a few, primarily high earners. 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. 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. The contracts allow workers to accept the $2,500 extra payment and still retire before July 1. We felt one of the most efficient ways and equitable ways to make a dent in this challenge was to go back and provide those same increases to the managers that had already been given to our union employees.. 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. All Rights Reserved. Ned Lamont previously touted the agreement as a way to retain state employees amid a wave of potential retirements. The virtually inevitable pay hikes and favorable benefit modifications will then be classified as hardship pay to reward for employees for their phantom frontline service.. EVENT: Mark Pazniokas will sit down with Gov. CONNECTICUT The state Senate gave final approval to the raise and bonus package for state employees. The best long-run thing for the state pension system is to have inflation just at or above 2%. Ned Lamont contracted with the Boston Consulting Group for a report of how to increase state government efficiency. But more than that, this is a necessary contract so that we can hold onto the best and brightest., This contract gives the state flexibility when hiring the most high-need jobs, recognizes the incredible institutional knowledge on our team, and the work state employees have done throughout the pandemic, said Lamont spokeswoman Lora Rae Anderson. It is unsustainable and, more plainly, unjust. Private-sector employees can only dream of having that, said Sen. Henri Martin, R-Bristol. That sum hasnt changed much in two decades. This final increase may pose concerns for small businesses and non-profit organizations operating in the state. Greenwich resident Red Jahncke is president of The Townsend Group International, a business consultancy in Connecticut, and a freelance columnist published in national and Connecticut newspapers. 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. Now shes asking for help herself, One musician remembers what it was like to tour the world with singer and activist Harry Belafonte, Connecticut COVID data: Your town's infection rate, hospitalizations & vaccinations, Tracking health threats, one sewage sample at a time, COVID during pregnancy may alter brain development in boys. The minimum wage in Connecticut is scheduled to increase to $15 per hour on June 1, 2023. . The bonuses, the GOP argued, are hardly the key to retaining workers, as the governor and other Democrats claim. The [nonprofit] industry pegs the inflationary loss its taking on these payments at $460 million per year, according to the CT Mirror. Thats a big risk, but its also an amazing opportunity to reinvent how we do things, to bring in technology to automate a lot of the manual processes that can be more efficiently done by software today.. Youll notice when you look around here, there is no paper. Thirty percent intend to leave the state upon retirement. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you publish it. Not the fact that Connecticut has had a big contraction in its workforce during the pandemic of about 6 percent and a top 10 unemployment rate, currently exceeding 7 percent, versus a national average nearing 5 percent. She noted that West Virginia recently granted state employees a 5% raise while Arizona bumped pay for its correction officers by 20% and for workers in many other departments by 10%. Those who challenge government actions for the right reasons could be forever barred from political office unjustly by this law. The deal works out to about $40,000 in raises per state employee over four years, Fazio said, which works out to about $1,300 per Connecticut household. 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. The package was previously approved by the House. 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. The. 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. 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. Connecticut has more per capita debt than most other states, and those long-term obligations are expected to put considerable pressure on state finances for decades to come. This deal was billed as a retention effort, said Rep. Laura Devlin, R- Fairfield, who is campaigning for lieutenant governor as the running mate of GOP gubernatorial contender Bob Stefanowski of Madison. 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. Gov. The state also faces a potential wave of retirements. They are our people, who we count on each day to make us safe, she said. 1 Killed, Child Critically Injured In Major Highway Crash: CT News, Meteorologist Leaves TV News To Take Over Family Business: CT News, 3 Soldiers Killed After 2 U.S. Army Helicopters Crash In Alaska. Were hemorrhaging workers right now, DAgostino said. "I'm very concerned this is unsustainable, opponent Kevin Maloney told lawmakers at a public hearing Monday. 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. "I think we're in great shape. The agreements, which unions ratified earlier this spring, are retroactive to the start of this fiscal year, which began last July 1. How will schools be implementing to curriculum requirements? The 2022 State Holiday and Check Dates calendar for State Employees. Republican House Leader Vincent Candelora of Branford, in a statement following Thursdays announcement questioned how the raises will affect not only current contract talks with union negotiators for rank-and-file workers who want more pay, but also the work of a new task force charged with studying this issue and reporting back to the legislature., Candelora attributed the structural gulf between non-union managers and unionized employees to a vicious circle that's fueled by people at the Capitol whose baseline position is to give state employee unions everything they want.. 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. 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). BCG documented that the sclerotic state bureaucracy takes an average of 33 weeks to hire a new employee. What can be done to lower home heating bills? Ned Lamont believes it will keep critical state workers on the job. More than 46,000 Connecticut state employees could soon get a significant raise -- and bonuses - thanks to a new union contract that won approval in a key legislative committee Monday. 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. If youre going to get a bonus, youve got to stick around with us for a while, said Rep. Jay Case, R-Winsted. By 2020, the state paid $2.2 billion to 55,348 retirees. will call the "2022 Changes") go into effect as of July 1, 2022(the "Effective Date"). 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's an incentive to keep people working after that retirement date.". Ned Lamont in Darien earlier this month. Though the list of reforms may be exhausting to review, it is far from exhaustive! Photos: Iconic Landmarks To Visit Across CT. Both are signs of things to come in state government or more precisely, things to disappear. 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 is ample evidence that this is a fair contract, a reasonable contract, an affordable contract, she said of Connecticuts wage hikes. Lamont, who said that in June 2020 when asked about the pay raise to take effect just days later on July 1. CT Gov. I dont believe, fundamentally, that this agreement is fair at all.. 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).
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