You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you publish it. Connecticut state employees on track for $353 million raise as other And while some criticized the bonuses, the Hamden lawmaker and others say they would save the state money over the long haul. Lamont called DAS one of the jobs where we wanted to think a little more out of the box., Like Lamont, Geballe is a graduate of the School of Management at Yale. It is unsustainable and, more plainly, unjust. 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. In addition, full-time workers would receive a $2,500 bonus in mid-May and another $1,000 bonus in mid-July. So, it is a safe bet that Lamont will sign a juicy new wage contract with SEBAC. 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. Negotiators will meet again to determine raises after the time period. Fazio cited a study by the American Enterprise Institute, which found that Connecticut state employees on average are paid 5.6 percent less in salary than a private sector employee with similar qualifications. CT Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. Michelle Lee. 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. And that was before surging state income and business tax receipts pushed this fiscal years surplus from $2.7 billion to $4 billion. Union leaders say the workforce is ready, if wary. 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. Note: the above image is a chart for the CPI-U, not the CPI-W. By, Corporate Support: Advertising & Sponsorship, 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. This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Publics Members 13 Week Package - $38.87 / 13 Weeks. Good question Hope I cant find the answer either. In the prison system, there are separate classifications for supervisors of correctional industries, auto mechanics, data entry, printing, clothing, and general industries. State Employee Benefits and Resources - ct Union members have engaged in an all-out campaign of organizing and mobilizing to make our pay a priority for state leaders. Opinion: Gov. Connecticuts pension COLAs, however, are set for a change one year from now prompting concerns over a potential surge in state employee retirements. The Florida House and Senate are working on a budget whose bottom line for state workers is a $224 million pay raise - that's about $44 a week, ($2,300 annually) for the 97,000 employees in the . ALERT: Tell lawmakers to vote NO on the TCI Gas Tax Loophole that forces CT residents to pay unlimited energy taxes! Number one: What if the state developed a way for citizens to be known across agencies by the end of 2022?. 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.. 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The contracts allow workers to accept the $2,500 extra payment and still retire before July 1. By 2020, the state paid $2.2 billion to 55,348 retirees. The nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates the contract will cost the state $1.87 billion over three years. As we go into a time period where we expect a significant number of retirements, we want to make sure that we can attract and retain top talent across all of our agencies whether in management or non-management positions, McCaw said. BCG documented that the sclerotic state bureaucracy takes an average of 33 weeks to hire a new employee. The comptrollers office cautions that some those eligible to retire will not yet have earned full retirement benefits, giving some an incentive to stay. Critics say the deal is too generous and could lead to future tax hikes. 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.. in its annual Fiscal Accountability Report. The Charter provides commonsense reforms to make Connecticuts government work for its residents. 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. He is one of the mid-career, private-sector executives to join the administration of Gov. 2K views, 27 likes, 7 loves, 18 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Dbstvstlucia: DBS MORNING SHOW & OBITUARIES 25TH APRIL 2023 APRIL 2023 No. Weve seen clerical workers go from a high of almost 9,000 to 4,000.. At Yankee Institute, we know Connecticut is a state with boundless opportunity, and we intend to help make our state more than a place where people are just able to make ends meet! But two union leaders say they see the states expectations of a significant retirement wave as well-founded. That helps focus peoples minds and increase their willingness to change and to take risks. The agreement would cost the state nearly $1.9 billion over four fiscal years, according to nonpartisan fiscal analysts. That's an incentive to keep people working after that retirement date.". community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. Published April 18, 2022 at 3:52 PM EDT. Florida lawmakers start hammering out budget details The program also will allow the state to abandon plans for a costly upgrade to its email system. In a bill drafted . State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition. 4:04 pm. 0:36. Photos: Iconic Landmarks To Visit Across CT. Driven by a surge in state employee retirements, Connecticut's spending on pension payments ballooned to a recordhigh $2.5 billion in 2022, state data shows. By the latest estimates of the comptrollers office, 14,764 state employees a quarter of the workforce will be eligible to retire on July 1, 2022, when a concession deal negotiated in 2017 by the administration of Gov. To be prepared to comply with this change, all employers should do the following prior to June 1: . If you have employees affected by the . 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. The changes will only affect those who retire after July of 2022, but according to the OLR report, historically such changes have resulted in a larger number of employees retiring before the cut-off date. will call the "2022 Changes") go into effect as of July 1, 2022(the "Effective Date"). See Sen. Cathy Osten defending the SEBAC deal. The BCG study was supposed to facilitate a third approach. He has been the state finances reporter at CT Mirror since it launched in 2010. 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. But that surge followed a nearly decade-long stretch in which state tax receipts from the same source badly underperformed. 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. Republicans countered Friday that the raises and bonuses far outstrip what households in the private sector are receiving. Connecticut Property Taxes In Every Town: Who Pays The Most? 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. With only 41 weeks remaining to replace retiring employees, the Lamont administration is fast approaching a severe manpower crisis. Were losing some of our best and brightest as they seek other parts of the country where its easier to make a living. Lamont could rehire retired workers as independent contractors, but then he would be paying those fees as well as funding retirement benefits. Ned Lamont in Darien earlier this month. Republicans countered Friday that the raises and bonuses far outstrip what households in the private sector are receiving. Marc can be reached at, Connecticut saw a 1,600 decrease in nonfarm industry positions in December, while November private sector gains (3,300) were revised down [], Eviction cases in Hartford and Bridgeport have remained far below historical averages since the Supreme Court overturned the federal eviction []. That sum hasnt changed much in two decades. BCG was to help accelerate efficiency efforts, enabling the state to operate with less manpower. The agreement would cost the state nearly $1.9 billion over four fiscal years, according to nonpartisan fiscal analysts. But we have a bonus that starts after July 1. 2023 January COLA Increase Approved - portal.ct.gov In the past, similar planned changes to retirement benefits have triggered waves of retirements before the changes take place, the OLR report states. Connecticut Public Radio | Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad6f3785a83847b97c7976185623d348" );document.getElementById("h4d5fc382f").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); 216 Main StreetHartford, CT 06106[emailprotected], 2021 Yankee Institute for Public Policy. Are more state employees retiring than usual? 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 alternatives are suboptimal. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Thats something we certainly need to work on here.. The. Ned Lamont contracted with the Boston Consulting Group for a report of how to increase state government efficiency. 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 package was previously approved by the House. DARRELL HACKETT The plan, negotiated by Gov. In 2015, Connecticut paid $1.7 billion to 49,111 retirees, according to the Comptroller's Open Pension website. The contracts allow workers to accept the $2,500 extra payment and still retire before July 1. What will our elected officials be working on to improve policy outcomes for Connecticut residents? The contract is not a done deal. 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. 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. CONNECTICUT The state Senate gave final approval to the raise and bonus package for state employees. The contracts, which Gov. We enable organizations to maximize Sales target achievement using our Sales Incentive & Performance Management Technology. Jessica Hill / Associated Press More than 40,000 unionized state employees would receive $3,500 each in special bonuses by mid-July under tentative contract agreements reached this week with. 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. More than 3,400 state employees have either retired or filed their written intentions to do so between January and March 31 alone, and that total is expected to grow considerably between now and July 1. (Sorry for the caps, wont let me shift), Hope McKiernan The only Tier II members who are required to make retirement contributions are: Individuals serving in hazardous duty positions; and Individuals who elected to pay an additional contribution to maintain the current normal retirement age. Register to attend in-person | Register to attend virtually. I dont believe, fundamentally, that this agreement is fair at all.. Retired state employees receive a cost-of-living adjustment every year in either January or July depending on the employees retirement date based on the CPI-W for the previous 12 months. And that total is expected to grow considerably between now and July 1. EVENT: Mark Pazniokas will sit down with Gov. Lamont joined others to announce the deployment FEMAs new COVID-19 mobile vaccination unit, which is set up and running this week in the zoos parking lot. "I'm very concerned this is unsustainable, opponent Kevin Maloney told lawmakers at a public hearing Monday. 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. I think all of the stakeholders lament it, but then find the excuses for why we cant change it. Its, Well, thats the way weve always done it. . 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. 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. Senate Joins House And Votes To Give Raises, Bonuses To State Employees In addition, full-time workers would receive a $2,500 bonus in mid-May and another $1,000 bonus in mid-July. The newest class of state police trainees will be selected from a pool of candidates who were recruited on social media and applied and initially screened online. Based on the statutes governing Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) for CTRB members, the Connecticut Teachers' Retirement Board will be granting COLA as follows. listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information. 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. 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. Geballe is no stranger to bureaucracies and the opportunities, challenges and necessities of wrenching change: He spent 11 years at IBM, which employs 350,000 people worldwide and preaches that the world is in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution, a convergence of new technologies powered by cloud computing. 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. After leaving IBM, he became chief executive officer of Core Informatics, a software startup that Hartford Business Journal included in its 2017 list of best places to work in Connecticut. That is the status quo.. Ned Lamont is negotiating a new wage contract with the State Employees Bargaining Alliance Coalition. The coalition, which represents most state employee unions excluding the state police, added that, It is a critical step in resolving the current staffing crisis that is the consequence of decades of disinvestment and austerity., Lamont spokeswoman Lora Rae Anderson said, Were happy the House has passed the SEBAC agreement, and we are hopeful the Senate will do the same.. Ned Lamont believes it will keep critical state workers on the job. 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. Its a matter of whether we can afford it.. 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. CT Saw Jobs Lost in December, Revised Private Sector Gains from 3,300 to 300, Evictions remain significantly down in Bridgeport, Hartford after end of eviction moratorium, Film Tax Credit Expansion Receives Criticism Across the Aisle, Its Christmas Time for the General Assembly but Not Everyone is Happy, UConn Says New Freedom of Expression Bill Not Necessary, Testimony in Opposition of HB 6929 Submitted by Bryce Chinault, Director of External Affairs, Connecticuts Voting Tabulators are Unreliable and Unserviceable, Over 200,000 people have moved out of Connecticut since 2010, as state economy declined, Dont Be Mean to Government Officials or Theyll Take Free Speech Away, Public Sector Job Growth Beats Out Private Sector In July. Some of the features on CT.gov will not function properly with out javascript enabled. 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 Negotiators will meet again to determine raises after the time period. As a federal EPA employee recently told the Washingtonian in a piece about the Trump administration, I fully intend to outlast these people.. A wave of state employee retirements is expected in the coming months, resulting in an "unprecedented" loss of knowledge and skills, some officials say. As a 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. The Office of the State Comptroller reports that state government found a way to spend $47.11 billion in 2022 and, if trends continue, we can expect that number to grow even more going forward. Ideal timing for the announcement would be between Christmas and the New Year. It will slow cost-of-living adjustments for all new retirees and raise health costs for a few, primarily high earners. 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. Connecticut State Department of Administrative Services CT.gov Home Department of Administrative Services Human Resources Business Rules and Regulations Compensation Salary Increase Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) Salary Increase Non-Represented Employees Expense Reimbursement/Meal Allowance Pay Differential Longevity Recruitment Pay The deal is now final since the state Senate and House approved it. Critics say the deal is too generous and could lead to future tax hikes. Gov. By the latest estimates of the comptroller's office, 14,764 state employees a quarter of the workforce will be eligible to retire on July 1, 2022, when a concession deal negotiated in . How will state and local budgets be affected by fewer federal resources? 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. But more than that, this is a necessary contract so that we can hold on to the best and brightest.. Your pension is subject to an annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). 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. The increases, part of a four-year package negotiated by Gov. 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. Keith has spent most of his 31 years as a reporter specializing in state government finances, analyzing such topics as income tax equity, waste in government and the complex funding systems behind Connecticuts transportation and social services networks. Gov. 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. 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.
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