Jan. 13, 2006
STATE WORKERS BLAST PAWLENTY ADMINISTRATION,
RELUCTANTLY ACCEPT HALF PAYMENT
FOR LOSS OF PAY, VACATION AND COMP TIME DURING STATE SHUTDOWN
ST. PAUL, MN – Today, state employee unions blasted Governor Pawlenty as a bad employer after reluctantly recommending acceptance of his offer to restore only half of the pay, vacation and compensation time they lost during the state government shutdown. All affected members of AFSCME and MAPE will vote to accept or reject the recommended offer later this month. Ballots will be counted Feb. 6.
“There’s no dignity in half a loaf,” said Eliot Seide, executive director of AFSCME Council 5. “But half is better than nothing for our average member who lives paycheck to paycheck on $35,000 a year. It means about $300 to help cover winter heating bills.”
Agreement to accept half payment requires that state employee unions refrain from going to the Legislature for the other half. “Governor Pawlenty refuses to make his employees whole and we know that the votes aren’t there to override his veto,” explained Seide.
A majority of both legislative houses voted last session to keep government open; however, “lights on” legislation failed to pass with a two-thirds majority in the House.
Nearly 9,300 state employees were locked out of work through no fault of their own for eight days last July because Governor Pawlenty and lawmakers failed to reach a budget agreement. State employees wanted to work, yet the state locked them out.
“If Governor Pawlenty was a fair employer, workers who used their accrued vacation and comp-time balance to get paid would have their time fully restored,” said Jim Monroe, executive director of MAPE. “Those who were not paid during the lockout because they had insufficient vacation would also have their pay fully restored.”
The estimated cost of making affected workers whole is $10.1 million. This amount was already budgeted by departments and would have come at no extra cost to taxpayers.
The employer and unions agreed to address shutdown reparations separately from contract negotiations. They met with a facilitator – Lance Teachworth – several times. Union leaders met in good faith with hope that the employer would pay its employees.
“Hardworking state employees lost pay and vacation because the governor and legislators couldn’t get their job done,” said Seide. “It’s shameful that the governor paid himself for this overtime failure, but won’t fully pay his employees.”
“A typical state employee earns $35,000 a year and lives paycheck to paycheck,” said Mike Buesing, president of AFSCME Council 5 and a Department of Transportation employee who was locked out of work. “The shutdown wasn’t a vacation; it caused real pain for real people.”
“Morale and personal savings were hit hard during the shutdown,” said Monroe. “All affected employees should be fully compensated for the time they were kept from doing their work for the citizens of Minnesota.”
“Governor Pawlenty is a bad employer,” said Buesing. “He fumbled a chance to heal wounds and rebuild morale. Instead of making his employees whole, he has added insult to injury.”
“Governor Pawlenty’s shutdown put a black eye on Minnesota,” said Seide. “Everyone lost because of his irresponsible leadership – taxpayers lost services and state employees lost pay.”
There are 38 states with provisions to keep government open if their legislature fails to pass a new budget. Minnesota must address this larger issue.
“Never again should political gridlock be permitted to shut down any portion of state government,” said Monroe. “We need a law to keep public services open when politicians fail to reach a budget. Taxpayers and state employees deserve this protection.”
AFSCME Council 5 provides one strong united voice for 40,000 public and non-profit employees in Minnesota.
MAPE is a strong voice for 11,000 professional employees who work for the State of Minnesota.
###
