Friday’s release of the annual comparison of Colorado’s state workforce to their private sector counterparts, known as the Annual Compensation Report, highlights what many state workers already know: there needs to be more fairness and economic security for public employees.
“The last two years of raises have helped make up for years of falling behind, but it’s not enough if we want to keep the best and the brightest serving Colorado taxpayers,” said Colorado WINS Executive Director Tim Markham. “As the economy improves, the state is losing employees to the private sector. We need to step up and recognize the value of our public workers at correctional facilities, veterans homes, transportation facilities, and centers for the developmentally disabled across the state. Their work matters to all of us and it should be rewarded fairly.”
As the report shows on page 7, each of the state’s seven occupational groups are lagging behind the market. These occupational groups lag anywhere from 1% to 6.1% behind the market.
“For many years State workers have served the citizens of Colorado well and did not have wage increases due to the economic crisis,” said WINS member Diane Cruse from Conifer, who works at DHS. “We contributed our share to support the State, going under the private sector pay, and now that the economy has improved it is time to support us. It’s a simple matter of fairness when it comes to bring us more in line with the private sector.”
You can read more about the men and women of Colorado’s state workforce here.
For the second year in a row, Colorado WINS members secured a raise for their fellow state employees.
This was not an easy victory. The Wage Campaign, which we began last November, took us through six months of intensive work to make sure that our commitment to making Colorado a great state was appreciated.
While last year’s raise was the biggest in 5 years, the increase we fought so hard for was still slightly less than the rate of inflation. Now that our economy is recovering it is time for state workers to share in that recovery.
We need to make sure that our hard work is rewarded. The goal of our union is to create a fair economy in which public sector workers have a stable foundation on which to rely.
In times of economic insecurity, the union is our voice. The only way to make this voice heard by legislators who make the decisions about your pay and benefits is to join the fight by becoming a member. (more…)
For a second consecutive year, Colorado WINS members secured a raise for state employees. This year’s 2.5% across-the-board increase is an improvement over last year’s 2% and with Merit Pay some state workers will see up to a 4.5% increase starting with their July paycheck.
The budget passed with bipartisan support in both houses of the legislature and was signed into law by the Governor on April 30. This is what happens when workers come together and rally for improved pay and benefits. Colorado WINS members are part of the only organization working to improve pay and benefits for all classified personnel.
Members have been hard at work making this raise happen. WINS members lobbied for a 3% increase, but at the last minute, the Joint Budget Committee lowered the raise to 2.5%. While this is still clearly a victory, it shows that our membership numbers greatly influence legislative outcomes. In the 11th hour, we drove hundreds of calls and emails to the JBC, urging them to reverse their decision. Envision what the raise would have been if those numbers were in the thousands!
This year’s legislative session was indeed good for state workers. Thanks to the raise, workers living in rural Colorado will boost their local economies. And since healthcare premiums held steady for another year this means that everyone will be taking home a net increase. (more…)
2.5% Base-Building Increase, 1% Merit Higher Than Last Year, Will Help State Workers Contribute To Colorado’s Economic Recovery
On Wednesday, April 30, Governor Hickenlooper signed the 2014-1015 Colorado State Budget. For the second year in a row, Colorado’s state employees will get a raise, which will help them and their families contribute to the state’s economic recovery. The 2.5% base-building raise is a half-point improvement over last year’s 2% increase. The state budget also includes a 1% merit increase and a streamlining of the state’s timekeeping system to better ensure workers are paid fairly.
“We’d like to thank the Governor and legislators for helping to keep our economy moving forward by supporting working families in Colorado,” said Tim Markham, Executive Director of Colorado WINS. “This builds on the momentum we started last year to help state employees and the communities that depend on them. State workers play a vital role in the day-to-day lives of Coloradans, providing public services and contributing to the economy. Colorado is the state’s biggest employer, and what happens to public employees has a ripple effect across the state, from Sterling to Delta. (more…)
2.5% Base-Building Increase, 1% Merit Higher Than Last Year, Will Help State Workers Contribute To Colorado’s Economic Recovery
Denver – For the second year in a row, Colorado’s state employees will get a raise, which will help them and their families contribute to the state’s economic recovery. The 2.5% base-building raise is a half-point improvement over last year’s 2% increase. The state budget also includes a 1% merit increase and a streamlining of the state’s timekeeping system to better ensure workers are paid fairly.
“We’d like to thank legislators for helping to keep our economy moving forward by supporting working families in Colorado,” said Tim Markham, Executive Director of Colorado WINS. “State workers play a vital role in the day-to-day lives of Coloradans, providing public service and contributing to the economy. After all, Colorado is the state’s biggest employer, and what happens to public employees affects communities from Sterling to Delta.
The bottom line is that after four years of pay freezes and cuts, state workers have gotten raises two years in a row with more to aim for next year, and held down health care costs. We will continue to build on this success moving forward.”
According to Alex Barnes, an officer at the Arkansas Valley Corrections Facility and a member of the Colorado WINS Department of Corrections unit, “WINS has in my opinion had a very successful last couple of years with the passing of SB-210 and the raises last year. Our health care costs have actually dropped some and not been raised. We got raises this year and last. Momentum has shifted in our favor and I’m more motivated than ever before.”
According to Delta Corrections employee John Barron, “We spend our money in local economies and help contribute to the state’s economic health. A raise for state employees means that next year, Colorado’s economy will be even stronger.”
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For the second year in a row, Colorado’s state employees will get a raise, which will help state workers and their families contribute to the state’s economic recovery. The budget passed with bipartisan support in both houses.
The 2.5% base-building raise, which will start in July, is an improvement over last year’s 2% increase. The state budget also includes a 1% merit increase and funding to streamline the timekeeping system in DOC to better ensure workers are paid fairly. We also held down Health/Life/Dental costs by having the state pick up increased premiums this year so that our 2.5% pay raise isn’t eaten away by higher H/L/D cost.
Colorado WINS members are the only ones working to improve pay and benefits for all classified personnel. Members like you have been hard at work making this raise happen.
Members’ efforts in this year’s Wage Campaign resulted in an inflationary increase and a 1-point improvement over what the Governor proposed. WINS members signed hundreds postcards to the Governor, made hundreds of calls to the legislators and submitted hundreds of emails to the members of the Joint Budget Committee, urging them to support a raise for state workers. Imagine if those numbers were in the thousands!
The 2014/15 Revenue Forecast was released today and while projections are slightly up, this does not mean that the raise for state employees is safe. The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) is still working out the final details of the state budget and we must make sure that they keep the 3% across-the-board raise for state workers untouched.
We are expecting to see some opposition to the increase, so the only way to make sure it passes in this year’s budget is to contact Joint Budget Committee (JBC) members TODAY and urge them to keep the 3% raise funded.
We’re asking the JBC to build on the economic recovery started last year. State workers spend their money on Main Street and helping their salaries keep pace with inflation will improve local economies across our state. (more…)
As the legislature gears up to hear the March 2014 Revenue forecast, we’re hearing rumors at the capitol that the budget surplus will be smaller than what was forecast in December and that places state employee raises in danger. There are interest groups from across the state making requests for more money while the budget pie is shrinking.
If we want to make sure that the 3% raise for state workers stays untouched, now is the time for you to join this fight. Call or email the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) members who already approved this raise
and tell them your story!
Only your voices have the power to influence those who make budgetary decisions. After the Revenue Forecast comes out, JBC members will have to make some tough decisions about who gets the surplus money. Make sure they understand that state employees contribute greatly to the economic recovery of our state.
On Monday, Feb. 24, more than 60 Colorado WINS members came together at the Capitol to lobby their legislators on issues important to state employees. They worked to secure the 3% across-the-board raise and protect PERA benefits for state workers and discussed more personal issues such as workplace safety and respect.
After a few hours at the Captiol, members were joined for lunch by nearly two dozen legislators from both chambers and parties, who sat down to eat and chat with the attendees.
Find all the images from Lobby Day 2014 on the Colorado WINS Facebook page.
Here’s what some members had to say about the day.
State employees from communities in all parts of Colorado – from Delta to Monte Vista to Pueblo – converged on the state Capitol today to talk with their state legislators about how they can better serve Coloradans and how the legislature can address their needs. The discussion included everything from better technology to a needed 3% pay raise to keep up with inflation. The state itself is Colorado’s largest employer, with just over 31,000 workers in the state classified system.
Legislators from both chambers and parties took time to meet with WINS members and discuss helping the state move forward in a bipartisan way.
“I had a great meeting with Rep. Garcia, since we’re both from Pueblo,” said Patty Moore, Colorado WINS President, who works for the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo. “He’s very supportive of state employees and he gets it about how our work and our salaries support the southern Colorado economy.”
Pat Roybal from Adams State University, who lives in Blanca, met with Sen Larry Crowder and Rep. Ed Vigil. “We talked about cost of living adjustment and PERA. Both of them listened and it was a good conversation about maintaining our wages to keep up with inflation. We get so much more done if we all listen to each other.”
Concluded Pat Kriebel, who works in the Office of Early Childhood at the Department of Human Services, “Colorado WINS brings people together. We all care about what’s best for Colorado – after all, it’s our community and our families too.”
Pictures from today’s lobby day can be viewed on the Colorado WINS Facebook page:
