Corbett seeks 4% pay cut for state employees
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HARRISBURG -- Gov. Tom Corbett is asking state workers to take a 4 percent pay cut in the first year of their next contract to help balance the budget.
The workers would get 2 percent raises in each of the two following years, according to the proposal that would affect 45,000 of the lowest-paid state workers, all members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union.
Those workers are paid about $34,000 a year on average, according to AFSCME Executive Director David Fillman. Under the Corbett proposal, those salaries would decrease to an average of $32,640.
That would mean a savings to the state of more than $6 million.
Mr. Fillman said the cuts would be painful for workers while savings would do little to close the state's $4.2 billion budget gap.
"Do we know we're going to have to make some sacrifices in this budget? Of course we do," Mr. Fillman said. "But for a lot of folks 4 percent would be devastating."
He said the union already agreed months ago to take a one-year pay freeze, but the governor rejected that.
Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The governor also is asking workers to contribute more toward health insurance costs.
Mr. Fillman said the proposal is a starting point and is likely to change as it gets closer to June 30, when the current contract expires.
The next negotiating session is planned for April 22.
AFSCME represents about 55 percent of state workers including Department of Transportation drivers, nursing assistants in state institutions, clerical workers, custodians and state park employees.
Mr. Fillman said he expects the administration to ask for similar pay cuts from other unionized state workers.
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First Published April 6, 2011 9:52 am
