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House Approps. Committee Spares State Employees |
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Monday, 31 January 2011 |
Today in the House Appropriations Committee Rep. Pete DeGraaf, Mulvane, originator of last week’s amendment to slash 7.5% of salaries and wages from all state employees, authored a new amendment which restored pay for state employees who make less than $100,000 per year from the 7.5% cut. This amendment to restore funding for state employees has passed the committee.
The vast majority of state employees have been spared from the proposed 7.5% cut, for now. Our phone calls, letters and emails undoubtedly made a difference in today’s House Appropriations Committee. KOSE will keep you updated with alerts and actions as issues develop at the Statehouse.
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Tuesday, 25 January 2011 |
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KOSE Executive Director Jane Carter Responds to House Appropriations Amendment Reducing Salaries and Wages of State Employees by 7.5 Percent “The membership of the Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE), as well as every state worker who has dedicated their careers to public service, are disappointed with the news coming out of the House Appropriations Committee today.
“As the amendment offered by Rep. DeGraaf passed out of the House Appropriations Committee, cutting the salaries and wages of state workers by 7.5% through June 30, 2011, I thought of the already underpaid and underappreciated state employees who do the people’s work every day—clearing roads, providing care to the disabled and vulnerable, protecting our neighborhoods, and keeping our state running. How are these workers going to make ends meet now after it has already been determined that they are severely underpaid?
“The Civil Service Pay Plan passed in 2008 with bi-partisan support and required many resources to determine pay inequities and fund our market adjustments. The times of bi-partisanship may have changed, but the substandard pay for state workers hasn’t. We are in the middle an extensive restructuring of our pay plan and we are trying to retain experienced employees and today’s amendment hinders that mission. Kansas State workers are already 47th in the nation for pay and now things are only going to get worse.
“The work of many state employees is dangerous. The reason we have state employment is because no one else will, or can, do the jobs we do. Many state employees put their lives on the line every day, putting themselves at risk of being attacked by incarcerated criminals, or restraining a mentally ill individual attempting to harm themselves or others. State employees work under situations that many in the private sector never come close to.
“This dismantling of state government today happened with an unrecorded party-line vote without public comment, staff research, or a legislative response. State workers shouldn’t bear the brunt of this economic recession. We have given this state our labor and allegiance and all we ask in return is to make a living and provide for our families. After today state workers will no longer be able to afford to live in Kansas.
“In the near future, we will ramp up our efforts to stop this type of harmful legislation; we will pursue other opportunities to protect our services and the workers who provide them. Please know this is simply a proposal and it is our hope that with further discussion on the House floor, these cuts will be abated.”
### House Appropriations Amendment (pdf)
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Governor Brownback's Budget Report |
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Wednesday, 12 January 2011 |
The Importance of our State Services left Absent from State of the State Address. Most Saddening is How Thousands of State Workers May Lose their Jobs
KOSE Executive Director Jane Carter Responds to Kansas State of the State
“In Governor Brownback’s State of the State address the services of the state of Kansas and the employees who provide them were left in the cold, which is harsh considering these single digit temperatures!
“Governor Brownback spoke about hope and opportunity for all Kansans, but then disparaged the very services which pull Kansas through good times and bad, and that give many of our citizens hope and opportunity every day. Waste in state government was addressed in the State of the State and KOSE has worked in a bi-partisan fashion to flush out waste and fraud. However, eliminating unfilled positions is a slippery slope that jeopardizes our state hospitals, correctional facilities, and state agencies.
“The Governor had an opportunity tonight to thank the KDOT workers who plowed the roads of snow these past few days and kept our highways moving; he had a chance to thank our Correction Officers who keep convicted offenders off our streets; he also could've thanked our social workers who work night and day to help our underprivileged and most vulnerable; and lastly he could have recognized our state’s tax professionals who are working extra hard to get our rebates in the mail.
“Of course, not one of these critical employees or the tremendous work they do was mentioned. We only heard how we must rely on budget cuts, eliminations, and the ‘structural lowering of state employees.’ Last year we placed a Band-Aid on a busted artery; it stopped the bleeding, but only temporarily. Now is the time for long-term fixes and genuine remedies which don’t jeopardize our state services, workforce, and recovery from the economic recession. The elimination of state agencies and unfilled positions and the freezing of state spending will choke off any hopes we have of recovery!
“Our state workforce consists of Correction Officers, KDOT workers, social workers, psychologists, law enforcement agents, and workers from our state hospitals—workers who are blue collar, white collar, and no collar. State workers are not speed bumps on the so-called ‘Roadmap for Kansas’ and they will be discussing the governor’s disappointing remarks in the coming days at their facilities, agencies, and shops.
“State jobs are not the highest paying jobs in Kansas, but they are what the families and communities in Kansas depend on every day. State workers and their families should be concerned after tonight’s address. However, we will keep our spirits high and hope that our good quality services will garner the respect they deserve."
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State workers typically earn 11% less than private sector workers. |
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Monday, 20 December 2010 |
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Please select the report below for more information. 
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Private Sector versus State and Local Government Compensation |
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Friday, 19 November 2010 |
Here is a report that compares private sector versus state & local government compensation and, once again, the public sector comes up short:
Lewis, Gregory. "Pay Differences between State Government and Private Sector Employees, by State, Race, and Gender” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association 67th Annual National Conference, The Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, IL, Apr 02, 2009
….. In contrast to several prior studies by economists, we find little evidence that state & local employees are overpaid. Holding constant education, estimated work experience, occupation, location, race, and gender, state & local government employees earned 4 to 6% less than comparable private sector workers in 1990, 2000, and 2005-06, whether we used a dummy variable or modified Oaxaca method
Additional resources re: the public/private compensation debate:
* National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS): Out of Balance? Comparing Public and Private Sector Compensation (April 2010) State workers typically earn 11 percent less and local workers 12 percent less.
* How much can we blame on state pensions? Ezra Klein, Washington Post October 12, 2010: If you compare workers of like education, experience, etc., you'll find that blue-collar workers in the public sector do a bit better than blue-collar workers in the private sector, but white-collar workers do a lot worse...... More than half of all public employees have college degrees, compared to about 35 percent of private-sector employees
* Debunking the Myth of the Overcompensated Public Employee, EPI, September 15, 2010. The study analyzes workers with similar human capital. It controls for education, experience, hours of work, organizational size, gender, race, ethnicity and disability and finds that, compared to workers in the private sector, state government employees are undercompensated by 7.55% and local government employees are undercompensated by 1.84%.
* Benefit Cost Comparisons Between State and Local Governments and Private-Sector Employers, EBRI Notes, June 2008 Major reasons for the differences in total compensation costs between state and local government employers and private sector employers are the different composition of their respective work forces and the different nature of public- vs. private-sector work. State and local government jobs include education and public safety functions (teachers, police, and firefighters), which involve high levels of education, training, physical fitness, or risk) and largely do not exist in the private sector. Unionization rates also are higher in the public sector than in the private sector.
* Why federal workers deserve what they're paid, By Joe Davidson, Washington Post, Wednesday, February 3, 2010. Includes link to Chapter 10 of the 2011 federal budget with a chart comparing federal employees education levels and ages (experience) to the private sector workforce. |
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Attempt to repeal state sales tax increase in the works |
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Tuesday, 09 November 2010 |
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Lawrence Journal World
By Scott Rothchild
Topeka — The wheels are in motion to try to repeal the one-cent state sales tax increase that went into effect July 1.
State Rep. Owen Donohoe, R-Shawnee, is contacting his fellow Republican House members to gauge their thoughts on what they want to do when the legislative session starts in January.
One of his top priorities, he said, is repealing the tax increase.
"I think there will be a vote," Donohoe said. "Taxes are going to come up in the House and someone is going to bring up an amendment to repeal it. Whether it's successful, I don't know."
During the last legislative session, a bi-partisan coalition in the House approved the tax increase by a 64-61 vote.
But in last week's election, Republicans made huge gains, going from a 76-49 advantage to a 92-33 margin. Many of the new Republicans campaigned on a pledge to shrink government and lower taxes.
Gov.-elect Sam Brownback, a Republican, said he wants to hold down taxes, but has said he doesn't support repealing the sales tax increase.
In his letter, Donohoe states "As you know, Gov.-elect Brownback has a legislative agenda but it may not be as conservative as we wish."
The state sales tax went from 5.3 cents per dollar to 6.3 cents per dollar, and then is scheduled to decrease to 5.7 cents per dollar after three years.
Opponents of the increase said it would hurt taxpayers and the economy, while supporters said the increase was necessary after several rounds of state budget cuts to avoid permanent damage to schools, social services and public safety.
Donohoe said the reason for his letter to GOP members was to map out a Republican platform for the next session and ask Republican legislators who are running for leadership positions in the House where they stand on that platform.
"I want to know definitively where everyone is at who is running for leadership," he said, adding that he was not a candidate for a leadership post.
Donohoe said his other priorities are enacting tougher abortion regulations, auditing school districts, reducing the number of state employees and requiring ID to vote.
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Friday, 08 October 2010 |
KOSE Brothers and Sisters:
For the last several months KOSE has undergone the rigorous task of formulating a strategic plan to increase our overall effectiveness at the bargaining table, at the Statehouse, and on the worksite for all state employees and future generations of state employees.
KOSE was charged with creating a mission statement and a vision statement for our union and the strategic committee, comprised of KOSE members and staff, spent countless weekends and numerous hours and came up with the following:
Mission Statement:
KOSE's mission is to advocate for and empower union members and state workers who provide quality public service for the community in which they serve.
Vision Statement:
KOSE builds upon the collective strength and power of a growing and mobilized membership. We fight for economic stability and an educated and motivated voice at the worksite and at the state house. We are a proactive force for power and unity.
Please evaluate our statements through the questions below:
1. What does the above statement tell you about what KOSE sets out to do?
2. What would you add to the statements (if anything)?
3. What is missing from the statements (if anything)?
4. How do the above statements excite and / or inspire you?
Please reply to this email or send your feedback to info@koseunion.org
This is our union and it is up to us set its direction for the future! |
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