Pritzker’s First Day Giveaway On Step Pay Will Cost $200 Million Per Year (Chicago: to buy, income)

[Manterro]

Governor Pritzker announced on Tuesday, his first full day in office, that he will grant regular, step pay increases to about 20,000 state workers. Those step pay increases, which are not merit based, had been hotly contested with certain public unions during the Rauner Administration, which refused to pay them.

https://www.wirepoints.com/pritzkers...lion-per-year/

[flamadiddle]

I heard the number was closer to $500M. Fun times ahead!

[MSchemist80]

Hey no amount of other people's money is to much to buy the support of government unions.

[My Kind Of Town]

Are you guys advocating state workers never receive pay increases, indefinite salary freezes if you will? The step pay increases are barely keeping up with inflation. It’s no wonder state workers feel so beaten down. I’d be extremely upset if I didn’t receive a pay increase for 4 years and then was granted a 2.5% increase, yippee!

I would rather they move to merit based pay increases but does that mean they’d be able to increase pay by 5% rather than the 2.5% step because they “earned” it? How would these increases be reviewed objectively and are you ok with your tax dollars increasing because someone “earned” it rather than an automatic step that increases more or less in line with inflation?

[smegmatite]

lmao JB is a disaster already

[Manterro]

Originally Posted by smegmatite

lmao JB is a disaster already

This is only Day#1 and JB has already issued NON-MERIT based raises. Apparently state workers don’t have enough benefits. Hey, the people voted him in so they deserve everything they get. Like I said, JB's just getting started and you ain't seen nothing yet. When JB and Madigan get done with this state, people will be lined up at the border waiting to flee Illinois.

[My Kind Of Town]

Originally Posted by Manterro

This is only Day#1 and JB has already issued NON-MERIT based raises. Apparently state workers don’t have enough benefits. Hey, the people voted him in so they deserve everything they get. Like I said, JB's just getting started and you ain't seen nothing yet. When JB and Madigan get done with this state, people will be lined up at the border waiting to flee Illinois.

Care to respond to my post?

[Grlzrl]

Originally Posted by My Kind Of Town

Are you guys advocating state workers never receive pay increases, indefinite salary freezes if you will? The step pay increases are barely keeping up with inflation. It’s no wonder state workers feel so beaten down. I’d be extremely upset if I didn’t receive a pay increase for 4 years and then was granted a 2.5% increase, yippee!

I would rather they move to merit based pay increases but does that mean they’d be able to increase pay by 5% rather than the 2.5% step because they “earned” it? How would these increases be reviewed objectively and are you ok with your tax dollars increasing because someone “earned” it rather than an automatic step that increases more or less in line with inflation?

I am. Until they fix the pension mess. Yes, no raises for state employees.

[My Kind Of Town]

Originally Posted by Grlzrl

I am. Until they fix the pension mess. Yes, no raises for state employees.

It’s sad that the politicians have created a public vs private sector war (look what’s happening at the federal level). I work in the private sector but know many that work in the public sector. Good, hard working people. Not sure why they have to pay for a mess created by others? I call a spade a spade and that’s not fair. Again, people wonder why the public sector has a problem attracting top talent. Not hard to figure out when they are vilified and offer compensation that is uncompetitive with the private sector (at least in my line of work).

Who Ruined Illinois?

[RamenAddict]

Originally Posted by My Kind Of Town

It’s sad that the politicians have created a public vs private sector war (look what’s happening at the federal level). I work in the private sector but know many that work in the public sector. Good, hard working people. Not sure why they have to pay for a mess created by others? I call a spade a spade and that’s not fair. Again, people wonder why the public sector has a problem attracting top talent. Not hard to figure out when they are vilified and offer compensation that is uncompetitive with the private sector (at least in my line of work).

Who Ruined Illinois?

Exactly. I used to work for Florida, which has horrible pay but at least no state income tax. I moved here and most of my friends here (in Chicago) were making the same as what people in Florida made in lower cost of living areas. If Florida had trouble keeping top talent (due to the same issue of no raises), it is no wonder that they have no luck here. My friends who worked for the state here say they really didn’t mind the work, but the pay was just not sustainable.