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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2009 > January > 16 > Entry
State workers face paycuts, concessions
State officials are proposing a 5 percent pay cut, mandatory days off without pay, and a 35-hour work week as well as other concessions from the state’s 60,500 employees.
Much of the givebacks would come from members of the Ohio Civil Service Employee Association, the union that represents 34,000 state workers.
“While the union knew it would be in for the battle of its life with respect to gaining ground on economic issues like wages and health care, the team was aghast at the scope of the concessions the state proposed,” it said in the most recent OCSEA Bargaining Update. “The state claims the givebacks are necessary in order to avoid mass state layoffs due to the amount of the state budget gap.”
Gov. Ted Strickland said the state needs to close a $641 million budget shortfall by June 30 and make up a $7.3 billion funding gap in the upcoming two-year state budget. Income tax and sales tax revenues are falling short of expectations due to the economic crisis.
The union told its members that the state is asking for 18 different concessions, including a 5 percent across the board pay cut, 10 mandatory furlough days, elimination of personal leave, holiday premium pay, and longevity pay, and shifting from a 40-hour work week to a 35-hour work week.
OCSEA Executive Director Andy Douglas said, “We acknowledge receipt of information from the state and because of the news black out, we have no comment.”
Contract talks began in December. The current three-year contract expires this year.
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Comments
By st8
February 13, 2009 10:57 PM | Link to this
Dont’t forget state workers pay taxes too. We also do not like it when we see waste in Government. However many of us do work hard and earn the pay we make. Also do not forget in the last 6 years we went 3 years with frozen pay, insurance increases, etc., just like private industry. Even after we took the pay freeze they still laid off workers and cut budgets. Unfortunatly there are slackers in the state ranks just as they are in private industry. I have worked fast food, factory, been a small business owner and worked for the schools, MRDD and the state and I have seen it all. Trust me the state needs to cut. However keep in mind the cuts should not be made accross the board but must be thought out. In one agency I know of they are closing atleast 5 offices and this may be your neigbors or relatives that help you out when times are tough, they may be the one buying whatever it is you are selling in your business. No they will not be able to buy your goods or help out thier friends and neighbors when they are in need. Anyway think again before you make blanket statement about any class of people.By Hey Bob....
January 17, 2009 11:16 PM | Link to this
If teachers have it so good, why don’t you apply? I’m sure you wouldn’t survive more than a week in the classroom. And you’d probably be the first to complain about having to put up with the crap that teacher put up with—-including people like you who think they know everything….By Patty
January 17, 2009 11:26 AM | Link to this
In the private sector we have had our pay cut, no pay increases, no bonuses, and our benefits have been cut, in order to keep our jobs and keep the companies we work for operating. Not all of us work for BIG corporations. There are more small businesses than big and we are doing what we can to keep our jobs. Why should state workers be any different than the rest of us? My pay has gone down, my cost of living has gone up, my taxes right now are the same and the State Workers can’t take a pay cut? I guess it is selfish of us taxpayers to expect state employees to have to take the same reductions as the people that pay their salaries!By Erik
January 16, 2009 8:53 PM | Link to this
There would be a lot less people being held in Ohio prisons if we stopped the stupid, useless “war on drugs.” Save jail for violent offenders.By Chuck
January 16, 2009 8:16 PM | Link to this
To the corrections officer, maybe it’s time the state has it’s way…It a very honorable, tuff job you have, and I respect you for doing it so buck up and quit whiningBy Howie
January 16, 2009 8:11 PM | Link to this
We have created a “you owe me group of workers in State, County, and Local Governments. You owe me a car to drive to and from work, toy owe me $500.00 to $1,000.00 a year to pay for my uniforms, you owe me a job, I owe you nothing not even a full days work, I will do something for you if I can accomplish it without putting forth a great deal of effort..What yellow and sleeps 6? A City road work crew truck…By Steve
January 16, 2009 8:07 PM | Link to this
This union is going to get reemed again and deservedly so. It’s got to be the most ineffective union I’d ever seen. Corrections, who’s employees cannot strike by law are lumped together with all the idiots that get jobs with the other agencies and are terrified of losing them. Corrections will vote down an unfair contract offer because they don’t have to worry about a strike while the idiots who would be washing dishes if not for the state will vote for it because they are terrified to strike. The negotiators will take what the state offers and put it to vote because they get paid anyway. A yes vote on the contract is a waste of time because it’s the exact same as not voting at all as there’s rule that the contract will be approved if 50 or 60 percent of elegible voters don’t vote no. When I was force to be in this union, they use to put out a newsletter every so often bragging about their grievance wins. One time they were sticking their chest out over getting a worker off the hook for stealing gas which he was doing. Nice huh? Be proud of your union, we got thieves, liars, and lazy members but we will protect them and their actions or non-actions.By Howard
January 16, 2009 8:05 PM | Link to this
Well the economy has finally caught up with some of the local government. I said it would you can’t keep paying premium wages and benefits to State, County, and City Workers when the GM, FORD, and Chrysler tax bases have been eliminated. Another class of employee that has to many perks and benefits that does not earn what they make in wages and benefits. Good bye Unions welcome to the real world of workBy Bob
January 16, 2009 7:54 PM | Link to this
“How many people work in school admin that make lots more then the teachers do”…none. Teachers are paid fairly well for working 9 months, lots of long weekends, and a couple of extended breaks during the school year. I’m sick of people whining about how teachers are underpaid. In my community the teachers live in the upscale developments.By Barry
January 16, 2009 5:49 PM | Link to this
How many people work in school admin that make lots more then the teachers do, work in an office 5 or 6 hours a day, have a vehicle they get to drive, have a cell phone that is paid for by the state or county, and all they do is “admin”. Cut their pay down to what the teachers make, turn off some lights, and set the thermostat at 64 in the office. Bottom line is this. The economy is in the crapper and the taxpayers can not afford to carry the parasites all day long like we have been.By Barry
January 16, 2009 5:42 PM | Link to this
if the government was a boat crew rowing a boat, how many would be rowing, and how many would be enjoying the view holding coffee? when you drive by a road construction site and there are two people working four or five holding mountain dew cans and two guys in a truck doing who knows what I am pretty sure you can get rid of at least half those guys, keep the ones that are working and everyone will live happily ever after.By Barry
January 16, 2009 5:30 PM | Link to this
State worker— maybe in your department budget cuts are not a good thing, but as a whole the state could stand to cut 10% a year for the next twenty years and it still wouldn’t make up for the growth of the b.s. social programs, the “use it or lose it” money spent on computers and desks every other year and all the other wastes we hear about. It is about time the government cuts back, and I say it is almost too little too late.By Wordell
January 16, 2009 5:26 PM | Link to this
Any complaints from gov’t employees is idiocy. You employees have some layers of protection from losing your job (a paycut & concession(s) is better that NO JOB!!!). Ask me, and many others from other industries that have collapsed since 9/11. Keep your job, negociate for reinstatement to previous pay/benefit levels when times get better, and don’t act like “in your face” UAW idiots when going through this process of wage reduction/benefit reduction. I lost everything after my job loss at an airline after 9/11. Cool off, don’t panic, be fair, ask for fairness, and get gaurantees…(offer some yourselves). No money coming in means just that. Gonna’ pay your bills with your good looks, a smile, and a promisary note?? No job means>>>nothing.By state worker
January 16, 2009 5:00 PM | Link to this
I am a state employee. Five days a week I take a chance with my life going to work as a Corrections Officer in a prison. The cuts the state wants are absurd. We have 10,000 more inmates and one thousand fewer Officers since I started five years ago. With out the Unions the state would do as they pleased and offer the lowest salary and benefits possible to try to keep good employees at a place most people don’t want to work anyways. Before everyone dogs the employees and unions think of who that group consists of. We don’t make alot of money, and now it is hard to raise a family with out trying to work a millon hours of over time. So pay cuts are not a good thing. Another thing that will be cut will be the rehabilitation programs provided to inmates that keep them some what civil while incarcerated. With out the programs inmates are idle and that is when things get dangerous for staff and other inmates. So while you scream cut-cut-cut, remember 51,000 inmates will not be receiving any treatment needed to help them learn how to be civilized and that makes a more dangerous Ohio. Inmates are released without an education, job training, anger management, drug rehabilitation, or knowledge of how to live with out committing crimes against YOU.By Thinkaboutit
January 16, 2009 4:52 PM | Link to this
Boy lets see, I have an easy one…. Lets take away take home vehicles for state officials, the rest of us have to drive our own vehicles…How much does the state spend in gas and vehicles that they normally replace every couple of years. What about the state patrol, i understand those guys have to drive a pretty good distance to their post, how about they re district their post and if you are assigned to a certain post you have to live within thirty minutes. lets reduce spending on stupid S__T. We all have seen some really retarded things that our tax dollars has been spent on, why i think it’s nice that we as a whole try to include all groups but come on people this is tuff times once again caused by big business and Gov’t. We will as taxpayers once again bail them out, but wake up people would we rather lose jobs or silly fringe benefits……By Thinkaboutit
January 16, 2009 4:51 PM | Link to this
Boy lets see, I have an easy one…. Lets take away take home vehicles for state officials, the rest of us have to drive our own vehicles…How much does the state spend in gas and vehicles that they normally replace every couple of years. What about the state patrol, i understand those guys have to drive a pretty good distance to their post, how about they re district their post and if you are assigned to a certain post you have to live within thirty minutes. lets reduce spending on stupid S__T. We all have seen some really retarded things that our tax dollars has been spent on, why i think it’s nice that we as a whole try to include all groups but come on people this is tuff times once again caused by big business and Gov’t. We will as taxpayers once again bail them out, but wake up people would we rather lose jobs or silly fringe benefits……By Patty
January 16, 2009 4:28 PM | Link to this
There are so many protections for government employees they for the most part don’t need unions. In my 10 years I was forced to pay the dues. Never heard from them, didn’t know what they did. But they got my money that I had to pay!By Barry
January 16, 2009 4:10 PM | Link to this
wow, the state is cutting spending. I did not think they could do that. Try getting rid of some unneeded admin in schools and other offices (“we generated a report on report efficiency this week”) and maybe I will be impressed.By kurt
January 16, 2009 4:01 PM | Link to this
about time—in a day where unions are obsolete in the private sector,finally the state comes to earth and deals with realityBy jimmie
January 16, 2009 3:49 PM | Link to this
Tough times call for tough choices. Let’s see if the OCSEA steps up to the plate.