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Governor's DC style of politics coming home to roost in Kansas, State Employees' Union Says |
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Saturday, 19 May 2012 |
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For Immeadiate Release
May 19th, 2012
Governor's DC style of politics coming home to roost in Kansas, State Employees' Union Says The following is a statement from the Kansas Organization of State Employees on the Governor Sam Brownback’s declaration that he would sign the massive tax cut plan on his desk. "The Governor has taken us to the edge of financial disaster," said KOSE executive director Michael Marvin. "His tax plan is the height of political hypocrisy. He talks about living within our means and spending wisely, yet with his signature he will oversee one of the largest budget deficits in the state's history. You can take the Governor out of Washington, DC but evidently you can't take Washington, DC out of the Governor."
"The Governor's irresponsible action will place every vital state service on the chopping block," said Michelle Walters, KOSE President. "Education, public safety, care for our most vulnerable citizens will all be compromised. The impact on our our familes and communities will be swift and devastating."
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The following is a statement from Michael Marvin, Executive Director of the Kansas Organization o |
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Wednesday, 09 May 2012 |
For Immediate Release May 9, 20122
The following is a statement from Michael Marvin, Executive Director of the Kansas Organization of State Employees The level of political gamesmanship displayed by the House of Representatives today should serve as an embarrassment to all Kansans. The House's irresponsible action has placed every state program and the citizens they serve in jeopardy. The tax plan approved by the House will blow a devastating $207 million hole in the state's budget starting next fiscal year, growing to $1.2 billion in Fiscal Year 2018. This will require massive cuts to every critical state program and jeopardize the safety and livelihood of state employees, while lining the pockets of the Governor's corporate donors. Kansans should not be pawns in the political games of Governor Brownback and his allies. Kansans deserve more than to be roadkill on the Governor's road map to ruin.
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Despite Improving State Revenues House Committee Continues to Devalue the State’s Workforce |
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Friday, 20 April 2012 |
For Immediate Release
April 20, 2012
Despite Improving State Revenues House Committee Continues to Devalue the State’s Workforce
(Topeka)--Despite burgeoning state revenues and indisputable evidence that shows state workers are paid comparatively lower wages than their private sector counterparts, the House Appropriations Committee yesterday voted down efforts to fund undermarket pay adjustments for the lowest paid state employees.
"It's unfortunate a majority of House committee members view state employees as indentured servants,” said KOSE President Michelle Walters. "These are real people, who have families, who pay taxes and play by the rules. These are individuals who clear the roads, take care of our vulnerable citizens and stand a post to keep criminals behind bars. It is time for lawmakers to value state employees and the work they do on behalf of the people of our State."
In 2008, the Legislature recognized that many classified positions were so far behind the market compared to their private and public sector counterparts that the State faced a severe competitive disadvantage. In response, a five-year plan was adopted to begin the process of bringing selected classes of state employees up to market. The Legislature provided funding for these adjustments in Fiscal Years 2009, 2010 and 2011, but has failed to provide funding for the last two years of the plan.
The State Employee Pay Plan Oversight Committee recommended to the 2012 Legislature that the fourth and fifth years of the plan be funded. The Committee heard testimony that 87 percent of classified state employees are paid below market and 30 percent have not received any market adjustment at all.
"We have state facilities severely understaffed with employees very frequently being mandated to work up to 16 hour shifts. Not only are state workers dedicated to working to keep Kansans and their communities safe, but they are doing it to the point of mental and physical exhaustion,” Walters said. “With such conditions and low pay, it is not surprising turnover rates are high, convicted felons are escaping and Larned State Hospital’s accreditation is at risk,” said Walters. “The State is paying its employees so poorly that it cannot hire sufficient staff to functionally operate its facilities.”
"State workers are not looking for anything more than simple fairness,” Walters said. “Yet our legislators can't muster a dime of respect for state workers.”
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KOSE Press Release 1/12/2012 |
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Thursday, 12 January 2012 |
Brownback's KPERS plan is bad math Tonight during the State of the State address, Brownback inaccurately described the events leading up to the current underfunding of KPERS as legislators failing to keep their promises. For over a decade firefighters, teachers, police officers, social workers and corrections officers paid their required amount while their employer failed its responsibility. Those very same employees who kept their promises throughout the years have publically stated they are willing to pay more. “The plan outlined by the Governor is simply bad math. KOSE endorsed a plan last year to tackle the unfunded liability with shared sacrifices from both the employee and employer. Our plan was responsible and cost effective in solving the unfunded liability issue,” Michelle Walters, KOSE President said. “The only thing the Governor’s plan would do is increase the unfunded liability and takes more security away from those in public service while costing the state more.” With an unfunded actuarial liability of over $8.3 billion, the governor’s plan for KPERS would further expand this amount by another $1.2 billion and attempt to resolve the unfunded liability by 2035. The total tab for the Governor’s proposed new plan between 2035 and 2060? An additional $13.3 billion. “The Governor has pushed through an agenda based on ideology and not facts. This is a partisan attempt that actually shifts more of a burden to the state. The very simple truth is that taxpayers will pay more for his plan than the compromise from last session,” Walters said. “The Governor has a responsibility to spend taxpayer money responsibly and to keep promises to those serving the public. The Governor’s plan spends $15 billion and does neither.”
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KOSE Press Release 8/2/2011 |
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Tuesday, 02 August 2011 |
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KOSE Executive Director Jane Carter Responds to Administration’s Proposed Voluntary Retirement Incentive State Fails to Meet and Confer with the Union Statement from Jane Carter, Executive Director I am quite disappointed by the Administration’s announcement of the Voluntary Retirement Incentive proposal. To be very clear, KOSE is not opposed to voluntary retirement plans in general. However, it is essential that all factors be considered before enacting a Voluntary Retirement Incentive. The State has not, at this point, considered those factors nor met its legal obligations to KOSE. KOSE heard rumors of a proposed early retirement incentive weeks ago, and promptly requested meet and confer over the incentive. The State indicated it would meet and confer with KOSE prior to rolling out the Voluntary Retirement Incentive. By mutual agreement, the first meet and confer session was scheduled for August 10, 2011. The State never informed KOSE that a planned rollout was scheduled for the first week of August, nor did the State ever indicate that an earlier meet and confer date would be required, or suggested. The State's rollout of this program, one week in advance of the scheduled meet and confer session, violates both the State's agreement to meet and confer and the legal requirement to meet and confer. Secretary Taylor's contention that this is not an issue which must be discussed with KOSE is blatantly untrue. Under the Kansas Public Employee/Employer Relations Act, the State is required to meet and confer in good faith with the Union regarding terms and conditions of employment. The statute defines "meet and confer in good faith" as the process where the representative of the public agency and the representative of the employee organization to meet personally and exchange information, opinions, and proposals to try and reach agreement on conditions of employment. K.S.A. 75-4322(m). The statute goes on to define "conditions of employment", in part, as salaries, wages, hours of work, vacation allowances, sick and injury leave, number of holidays, retirement benefits, insurance benefits..." K.S.A. 75-4322(t). The Voluntary Retirement Program involves both retirement benefits and insurance benefits, two items that by law are subject to meet and confer. Meet and confer is particularly important on this issue because of the potential impact of the Voluntary Retirement Program on State employees, the citizens of Kansas, and the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System. The Voluntary Retirement Program, as announced today, contains no limit or cap on how many employees will be allowed to accept the retirement incentive. Some departments across the State, already crippled by budget cuts, are so understaffed employees are working shifts of sixteen hours or more, multiple times during a work week. Removing more employees from the system would create an even greater strain, and endanger the ability of these workers to deliver the services that many citizens depend on every day. During the 2011 legislative session, there was a great deal of discussion and debate about the financial health of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS). KOSE is very concerned about how a large number of employees suddenly entering retirement all at once will impact the overall long-term health and viability of KPERS. To date, the State has provided no information or calculations to KOSE, the public, or the legislative KPERS Study Commission to indicate how the Voluntary Retirement Program will impact KPERS and its funding levels. However, this information has been requested by KOSE, with no response from the State. KOSE had hoped to discuss some of these very real concerns with the State during meet and confer, with the objective of developing a program that could meet the State's objectives while also ensuring employees, citizens, and KPERS were not negatively impacted. KOSE has not yet decided how to respond to this early rollout, but we are meeting with our attorneys to discuss all available options. - # # # - |
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