Last March, in a report that received relatively little media coverage, Boston Consulting Group documented that 27 percent of the state workforce is eligible to retire before June 30, 2022, and that about three-quarters lean toward retirement. The CREATES report noted that 8,000 employees are eligible for retirement before July 2022 and identified 200 opportunities totaling $600 to $900 million of potential value., **Ken Girardin contributed to this article**, So of you retire prior to October 2021 and receive Your Cola 9 monthe later in July 2022 , will you receive above the normal 2 percent since inflation Is hIgh. Youll notice when you look around here, there is no paper. The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition represents 35 different bargaining units and more than 40,000 state employees. But that surge followed a nearly decade-long stretch in which state tax receipts from the same source badly underperformed. Josh Geballe, the states chief operating officer and commissioner of the Department of Administrative Services, said state agency heads have found it difficult to promote top performers in their departments because the employees would either have to take a pay cut or worry they wont be afforded the same prospective increases as those in bargaining units. More than 46,000 Connecticut state employees could soon get a significant raise -- and bonuses - thanks to a new union contract that won approval in a key legislative committee Monday. What will our elected officials be working on to improve policy outcomes for Connecticut residents? The state and unions have the option of continuing the same level of raises for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, or they can negotiate different compensation levels. Ideal timing for the announcement would be between Christmas and the New Year. In the prison system, there are separate classifications for supervisors of correctional industries, auto mechanics, data entry, printing, clothing, and general industries. Concerns over energy prices, inflation, and general cost of living continue to dominate the headlines and the threat of a recession hovers over economic forecasts. 10:27 pm, When will REtirees see the 6% in pensions im tier 2, TO vinny, you get The first increase 9 months after you retire, 60% of CPI W. The non-unionized managers will receive a one-time bonus of $2,000 and 7.5% in wage increases, including a 3.5% cost-of-living increase and up to 4% annual increments. font size, Human Resources Business Rules and Regulations. But Osten said the agreements are essential to maintain a state workforce that is at its smallest size since the 1950s, an argument Lamont has made as well. What tax reform proposals will there be? "Today is Tax Day People want to know where their tax dollars are going, said Kim Healy, a GOP Wilton selectman running for the Connecticut House of Representatives. After leaving IBM, he became chief executive officer of Core Informatics, a software startup that Hartford Business Journal included in its 2017 list of best places to work in Connecticut. State and union officials are expected to meet again in the fourth year to negotiate wages. The Lamont administration, labor leaders and other supporters of the increases have said they believe unions could have gotten even larger raises had they rejected the states offer and gone to arbitration. And while some criticized the bonuses, the Hamden lawmaker and others say they would save the state money over the long haul. 13 Week Package - $38.87 / 13 Weeks. Marc E. Fitch is the author of several books and novels including Shmexperts: How Power Politics and Ideology are Disguised as Science and Paranormal Nation: Why America Needs Ghosts, UFOs and Bigfoot. The minimum 2 percent COLA also means that during years in which inflation was low, they still got a boost over the inflation rate. building a betterand more civilConnecticut to live, work, and play. The state usually experiences 2,000 to 2,500 annual state employee retirements, according to the CT Mirror. CT Gov. See stories by Keith M. Phaneuf / CTMirror.org, Love Wins at WCSU benefit concert for saxophonists daughter lost at Sandy Hook, Week in CT News: Se'Cret Pierce killing, what's in our water, Zero interest loans are back for some home buyers in Connecticut, Erica Lafferty has been fighting since Sandy Hook. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. So, it is a safe bet that Lamont will sign a juicy new wage contract with SEBAC. Though the list of reforms may be exhausting to review, it is far from exhaustive! Prior to joining CT Mirror Keith was State Capitol bureau chief for The Journal Inquirer of Manchester, a reporter for the Day of New London, and a former contributing writer to The New York Times. The legislature's Appropriations Committee endorsed significant raises and $3,500 in bonuses Monday for about 46,000 unionized state employees. By 2020, the state paid $2.2 billion to 55,348 retirees. Currently, the only way to advance in most agencies is for someone to retire, leaving a specific job open. It is unsustainable and, more plainly, unjust. Now shes asking for help herself, One musician remembers what it was like to tour the world with singer and activist Harry Belafonte, Connecticut COVID data: Your town's infection rate, hospitalizations & vaccinations, Tracking health threats, one sewage sample at a time, COVID during pregnancy may alter brain development in boys. Connecticut is facing pressure from the private sector, municipalities and other states for its workers, Osten said, adding that the pandemic has made many state jobs less attractive. This proposed contract is a raw deal for the working people of this state, said Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-Greenwich, who noted state workers, on average, would receive more than $10,000 in total added compensation over four years. There will be no guaranteed minimum for those who retire after July 1, 2022, and their first potential COLA would come in 30 months, not 12. Employees would also get a $2,500 bonus if they are employed as of March 31, 2022, and a $1,000 if they are employed July 1, 2022. This final increase may pose concerns for small businesses and non-profit organizations operating in the state. "I think we're in great shape. 0:04. Gusty winds add new twist to brush fires in CT, officials say, What's next for the nuclear waste that's been in CT for 50 years, Building emissions are a key climate change contributor in CT, After decades in unmarked grave, CT homicide victim put to rest. We share the concern about whats going to happen in 2022, said Dave Glidden, the executive director of CSEA SEIU Local 2001, which represents 5,000 state employees. Connecticut has more per capita debt than most other states, and those long-term obligations are expected to put considerable pressure on state finances for decades to come. ALERT: Tell lawmakers to vote NO on the TCI Gas Tax Loophole that forces CT residents to pay unlimited energy taxes! . Sal Luciano, a former social worker who is the president of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, said many state agencies are understaffed. Photos: Iconic Landmarks To Visit Across CT. Access all Premium Content and the E-Edition for 1 day. Ned Lamont believes it will keep critical state workers on the job. Thermo Fisher Scientific bought the company the same year. November 3, 2021 @ Its members include scientists, engineers and information technology professionals. In a letter to his co-chair in management, Rinker wrote: I predict that some day some one will want to change state employment and the report you signed off on wil be the basis for that change., Change is coming for Connecticut state employees, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Police: Pedestrian killed in crash on Route 9 in Middletown, Police: Horses starved, kept in unsanitary conditions on CT farm, Middletown to restart Bird e-bike, scooter microtransit program, Middletown residents cheer decision to fully replace Pameacha dam, Cromwell man sentenced for carjacking date at knifepoint in 2020, Police: Suspect in Cromwell hotel robbery threatened to use a gun, Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim begins campaign for 2nd term, 2 Middletown youths charged in connection with school fight, Middlesex County Historical Society to receive 3 historic objects, East Hampton fire department marks 100 years with Bevin cowbells, Police: Pedestrian struck, killed in Route 9 crash in Middletown, New Britain bar's liquor license suspended after serving alcohol to minors, officials say, Police: Horses starved and kept in unsanitary conditions on Middletown property, Police: Threat made to Middletown schools deemed not credible, CT records first cases of new COVID variant Arcturus, transmission remains low, Police: Mystic woman killed, mother and daughter seriously hurt in Gold Star Highway crash in Groton. In an effort to mitigate the potential loss of thousands of state employees, Gov. Driven by a surge in state employee retirements, Connecticut's spending on pension payments ballooned to a recordhigh $2.5 billion in 2022, state data shows. People know not to bring paper in here, said Josh Geballe, a former IBM executive and tech entrepreneur. CT Gov. McCaw said some of the prior management positions that are now unionized include the assistant attorney general, state police captains and lieutenants, supervisors with the Department of Children and Families, parole managers and deputy wardens. The contract is not a done deal. This proposed contract is a raw deal for the working people of this state, Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich) said. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ad6f3785a83847b97c7976185623d348" );document.getElementById("h4d5fc382f").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); 216 Main StreetHartford, CT 06106[emailprotected], 2021 Yankee Institute for Public Policy. The program also will allow the state to abandon plans for a costly upgrade to its email system. The contracts allow workers to accept the $2,500 extra payment and still retire before July 1. Corporate Support: Advertising & Sponsorship, saves the state about $150 million over the next decade. Our product, Incentmax, is a dedicated sales incentive & performance management technology that links business goals with Sales reps & Customer facing team members' variable payments or Incentives/commissions, helping the increase in 5-10 % sales target achievement. Based on the statutes governing Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) for CTRB members, the Connecticut Teachers' Retirement Board will be granting COLA as follows. April 23, 2023 . How will schools be implementing to curriculum requirements? in its annual Fiscal Accountability Report. Some reflected frustrations by the public in dealing with state agencies, as well as employees knowing what is happening elsewhere in government. By 2020, the state paid $2.2 billion to 55,348 retirees. As a In addition, full-time workers would receive a $2,500 bonus in mid-May and another $1,000 bonus in mid-July. An arbitrator had already awarded some unions a 3% general wage hike for 2021-22 before Lamont and labor negotiators settled on a smaller cost-of-living bump and bonuses. Going forward, these employees will be entitled to receive wage and benefit provisions that their union counterparts will receive, per language the governors office included in the 837-page budget implementer bill passed this legislative session, McCaw said. The budget is expected to be a record high for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which will start July 1. But its unclear if the bonuses will stop many workers, since they can still collect the $2,500 bonus even if they retire anyway. There is ample evidence that this is a fair contract, a reasonable contract, an affordable contract, she said of Connecticuts wage hikes. State government coffers have swelled since 2018, due in large part to a robust stock market that has bolstered income tax receipts tied to capital gains and other investment earnings. The Lamont administration, labor leaders and other supporters of the increases have said they believe unions could have gotten even larger raises had they rejected the states offer and gone to arbitration. Gov. Good question Hope I cant find the answer either. All Rights Reserved. Keith is a graduate of and a former journalism instructor at the University of Connecticut. Ned Lamont administration to attract more people to stay and move into these jobs, and to make their salaries more in line with unionized workers. Lamont will give big fat raises to state workers, Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Police: Two men arrested after pulling gun at Stratford gym, Police: Homeowner scares off burglar in Trumbull, Milford robotics team wins division at international contest, Power restored after 1,500 outages reported in Fairfield, Police: CT woman lied about fake cops robbing her of $15K, M&T Bank backs push to diversify Bridgeport's nonprofit boards, Only a third of young Bridgeport students reading at grade level, Bridgeport's building chief: Remington was 'imminent danger', Bridgeport schools officials plead for added funding, CT doctor gets 4 years for fraud, illegally recruiting patients, the median American household saw its income fall 2.9 percent last year, CT records first cases of new COVID variant Arcturus, transmission remains low, 5 cute towns, cities and neighborhoods in CT to visit for a spring day, Connecticut women charged with stealing nearly $17K from public assistance programs, ESPN's Dan Orlovsky wears blazer lined with UConn logo in honor of men's basketball title: 'Go puppies', Former UConn women's basketball star Lou Lopez Snchal sidelined to start Dallas Wings training camp, Power restored to 1,500 customers in Fairfield after tree falls on utility lines. But the journey to get from here to there, and the ordering of initiatives, is very complex to think about.. At Yankee Institute, we know Connecticut is a state with boundless opportunity, and we intend to help make our state more than a place where people are just able to make ends meet! Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . The best long-run thing for the state pension system is to have inflation just at or above 2%. And Lamont reported this week that the current fiscal years budget is projected to close on June 30 with an unprecedented $3.95 billion surplus, equal to nearly 20% of entire General Fund.
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