Arguments hurt state worker morale
Point of ViewOpinions draw rebuke
BY STERLING ZEARLEY
Comments 
14
Published: October 31, 2009
On behalf of Oklahoma’s dedicated public employees, we take great offense at "Flood warning: Rainy Day Fund drawdown at hand” and "Blame the economy, not tax cuts, for state’s woes” (Our Views, Oct. 29).
To say public employees "have been salivating” over the $600 million dollar Rainy Day Fund is not only inaccurate, it is insulting.
Unlike those in private-sector jobs, state employees are some of the most underpaid workers around — falling 16 percent below market. Yet we pick up the slack and continue our service to our fellow Oklahomans, without bloviating about class envy.
With that being said, we are not "salivating” over the Rainy Day Fund. We are simply concerned, like thousands of others, about our jobs and how to provide for our families.
Does that mean we advocate using the Rainy Day Fund? Yes, if it means keeping services intact for our neighbors and more people off the unemployment line.
The
Oklahoma Public Employees Association has suggested alternatives to using the RDF, including convening the House and Senate appropriation subcommittees to take stock of the current budget situation and the effect cuts are having on state agencies. The House and Senate leadership have agreed with us and are advocating this same approach.
You say the public sector "must join private-sector workers in riding out the recession.” That’s another slap in the face to our employees who have dedicated their lives to public service.
The facts are the recent budget cuts have been on the backs of critical state-operated public services, not corporate contracts.
Oklahoma spends $1.4 billion in contracts each year, yet these contracts have not been cut 5 percent or $70 million. Recently, when the director of the Department of Corrections proposed a 5 percent cut to private prison contracts, their corporate lobbyists couldn’t get to the Capitol fast enough to throw their tantrums, like a horde of 2-year-olds in $1,200 suits.
The bottom line is this: Oklahomans are all in this together. Your divisive tactics will not move us forward in unity, but will further drive down the morale of state employees who provide a valuable service to this state.
Zearley is executive director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association. The class-envy argument Zealey refers to was linked not to state employees, but to remarks made by a state legislator.
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Yes it is worse, most people are just taking their paperwork home to get the work done, screw trying to get comp. time there is no way to take it anyway. I wished the public knew is how crooked our State Government (Legislators) is…we have the #3 highest paid Legislators in the nation with the worst paid State employees…yes, we are #50 in pay. Mississippi State employees make more than we do…one of the poorest states in the nation pays their State employees more than us that is just wrong.
Again at this point it’s not the pay it is the workload, conditions and public safety. State run prisons are close to being rioted because the inmates know they have more holes in the security with fewer officers on duty. More and more escapes will take place and the safety of the public will be compromised.
Yes, the state is very close to being sued however; not until then will they do anything about it…I’m sure you have heard it has to cost a life (which could happen soon) or money to get them to fix anything.
I would quit if I could but, I have 18 years in and I can’t walk away from my retirement…for what it is worth.
I am trapped here for 10 more years…can someone spare some Paxil?
Ken, I get the feeling you work for DOC, probably the most underfunded area.
You may not believe this, but I used to be a state employee. I got burnt out due to overwork, and crooked management didn't help. We were getting raises back then, but insurance premiums would go up at the same time, often resulting in less take home pay.
I didn't get paid overtime, rather was given comp time. I was classified as management (I was not a manager!) so my comp time would accrue 1 hour to 1 hour OT, rather than 1.5 hour comp to 1 hour OT. Also, we were forced to use comp time balance for vacation or sick days.
I worked for the state for about 4 years. When I left, I had almost 4.5 months of leave banked. I was paid for some, most was lost. Also, at one time I had 2 months of comp time banked. I was paid for 6 weeks, then took long weekends to burn up the rest.
It sounds like the situation is worse than when I worked for the state. The state is in danger of being sued if employees are not being compensated for all the overtime. Also, the state could be on the hook to pay employees for unused leave when they quit.
All state offices have been cut so deep to the bone for the last 2 years that if you were to cut our wrists we would bleed dust. We have had a hiring freeze for several years now and positions are needing to be filled…it’s not about raises, it’s about the workload.
What has been happening for some time now is when someone retires or is promoted we lose the position end of story…and bottom line work is not getting done and State functions are starting to fail.
At this point it’s not about the raises (even though it’s been 4 years since we have seen one) it’s now about the safety of the public. We know there will not be a raise for us any time soon but, if my wife should be in an accident (God forbid) I would like to know there is a Highway Patrolman on his way to help her and not have to wait for one till the next shift…something to think about.
It all depends where you work, but my experience in the private sector has been that you've got a sweet deal with the following your first year:
10 vacation, 5 personal/sick, 7 holidays. 22 days, the same number MomboCat posted.
New Years Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving (2 days)
Christmas
and I've never received a longevity bonus.
I totally agree with your last point, MBA. If you can't pay as much, offer other incentives. Most people would rather have the higher salary, than all the extra days off. Which gets back to my original question, which I will amend the extra days to work.
So, are there any state employees out there willing to work an extra 18 days a year to get their salaries equal to the private sector?
If yes, you could have a 7% reduction in force (RIF), but still get the same number of total hours worked from the remaining 93%. Take the money saved from the RIF and use it to increase salaries for the remaining employees.
Before I become the most hated person of State employees, I'm just throwing numbers out there. Layoffs are awful, I've been there. Both losing a job, and seeing co-workers lose their jobs due to cutbacks. I'm just trying to prove a point that MBA also made, there are other incentives to compensate for the lower pay. If the pay level is raised, should incentives be taken away, or positions cut to do it?
What you are missing is that State employees in comparable (if you can use that word) jobs earn much more than State workers. In most cases 20%-30% more. If you can't pay as much as the private sector, then you must offer other alternatives to entice workers. Ask yourself this question, would you rather work in a job that pays you 20%-30% more or receive and additional two weeks off each year? Most people would choose the additional money. Additional benefits such as more vacation or sick leave and job security is about the only enticement the State has to offer its workers.
And why can't the private contractors take a cut along with the state employees? For that matter, why are we even employing private contractors when they usually cost more than state employees?
Link to days off: http://www.ok.gov/opm/HR_Rules_and_Statutes/74-840-2.20.html
Longevity bonus schedule: http://www.ok.gov/opm/HR_and_Employee_Services/Longevity_Payment_Program.html
So, are there any state employees out there willing to work an extra 20 days a year to get their salaries equal to the private sector?