Friday, May 23, 2008
- Mark Beutler
Representative Carey Takes Lead on Pay Plan
After hundreds of state employees stormed the Capitol for the Red Shirt Rally and months of frustration waiting for action on state employee compensation, Rep. John Carey (D-Durant) announced he was formulating a long-term pay plan for the state’s workforce.
Carey discussed the issue with OPEA staffers and is working to gain support from other state leaders.
“A long-term pay plan is overdue and we have not lived up to our responsibility to our state workforce,” Carey said. “I am putting together a plan to be implemented over the next five years to bring state employees to market. My goal is not only to fill in the gap as it currently exists, but keep up with inflation.”
During the interim, Carey will be finalizing the plan and asking the Governor’s Office and Senate leadership to pledge their support.
Under the proposal, state employees would receive across-the-board increases for the next five years, with additional compensation for each year of service. Total cost for the pay plan would eventually be $200 million.
Budget projections are expected to be low next year, so the program would begin slower and gain momentum as state coffers increase. The state employee pay increases would be included in state law, forcing lawmakers to make state employee pay a priority.
“As the economy improves, the plan can be accelerated,” Carey said. “I wanted a program that was feasible and would not give state employees false hope.”
Carey is also looking at putting a deadline date as part of the program, where state employee pay raises would be funded by April 15 each year, similar to a law that requires school districts to be given their next year’s budget by April 1.
“We appreciate Rep. Carey responding to our Red Shirt Rally and coming forward with a plan for state employee pay,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. “OPEA has fought for a long-term state employee pay plan for years. While we have not seen the details and are concerned about next year’s budget, Rep. Carey is taking an important step forward.”