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Sandoval wants to end furloughs but cut state employee pay 5 percent
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CATHLEEN ALLISON/SPECIAL TO THE REVIEW-JOURNAL
Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a letter to state employees that furloughs resulted in poor customer service.
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU
CARSON CITY -- Gov. Brian Sandoval announced Wednesday that he wants to end state employee furloughs and instead cut their pay by 5 percent.
The pay cuts would not apply to teachers, his aides said.
Under the furlough program launched in July 2009 after the state sank into a deep recession, most state workers were forced to take off one unpaid day a month, which cut their pay by 4.6 percent.
"In my meetings with Cabinet officers, I have heard consistently that the furloughs are difficult to manage," Sandoval said in a letter to state employees. "They result in poor customer service and leave employees with unfinished work that awaits their return after a furlough day. While the 5 percent reduction represents more of a sacrifice than the 4.6 percent, I am hopeful there is a trade-off in workload management."
But a leader of a state employee organization in Carson City called the new governor's plan "worse than furlough days."
"This is the first piece of communication between the governor and state employees, and he is asking them to take a pay cut," said Vishnu Subramaniam, chief of staff for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4041. "Essentially it makes them work an additional day and not be compensated."
Sandoval's plan would make the pay cuts effective July 1, but it needs approval of the Legislature, and both houses are controlled by Democrats. Sandoval is a Republican.
Gov. Jim Gibbons failed two years ago when he proposed a 6 percent pay cut. Instead, legislators approved the one-day-per-month furlough plan, which is set to expire after June 30.
"That seems a little tough," said state Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, about the 5 percent cuts. "I don't think you can do across-the-board cuts. Some state agencies' workload has increased because of the recession. Businesses lay workers off, and state government's work increases."
The letter was directed to state workers, not to teachers, who have the right to bargain collectively for wages and benefits at the school district level.
Besides 5 percent pay cuts, Sandoval said he will propose on Jan. 24 that the state continue a freeze on longevity pay and merit pay increases for state employees.
Sandoval said he and his staff will take the same pay cut as state workers, and he will refuse a 6 percent pay increase he is entitled to receive this year.
"I have had the opportunity to meet many of you personally since taking my oath of office last week," Sandoval said in his letter.
"You have expressed a willingness to continue to make sacrifices -- provided others made them as well. I believe this is the right course. I admire your service to our state and appreciate your willingness to work through these lean years."
Sandoval will release his proposed two-year budget on Jan. 24 and deliver a State of the State address that evening to the Legislature.
He has said his budget will be based on available tax revenue, about $5.4 billion, and include no tax increases. Current state spending is $6.4 billion.
Earlier Wednesday, several state workers were asked at a Carson City restaurant to comment on the possibility that Sandoval would end furloughs. Several said they already had heard reports of a coming 5 percent pay cut.
"We are really upset about that happening," said Elnette Metcalf, a five-year state employee from Gardnerville. "But at least I will still have a job, compared to my niece," who is unemployed.
Another state employee, Brenda Grady, said it has been nice to have a furlough day every month, but it also has meant less money in her pocket to spend when she goes shopping on her furlough days.
"My teenagers have to eat, and they eat a lot," she said. "If we aren't getting the pay, at least we should continue to get the day off."
The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce in 2008 released a study that found public employees in Nevada earn 28 percent more than private-sector employees. But most of the difference was because of the higher pay received by county and local government employees, not state workers.
According to the chamber study, state workers received an average of $48,491 in 2006. That was 2.4 percent more than the typical state worker around the country.
The chamber study also found Nevada on a per capita basis has the lowest number of public employees in the nation.
Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.
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I say for you people that complain about your state workers( NDOC) I know for a fact, if you had there job, you will not last a month. If you do, you will be compromised within 2month and then be fired! Maybe you or your family members been incarcerated, that why you have to much hate against a professional, ethical correctional officer. So if you do not have anything better to say about them, keep you mouth shut!
Deana... im not saying i dont like my job. I LOVE MY JOB... im just saying that people who are complaining about us making too much dont take into account of what we actually do. i doubt that most of the people commenting on this article wouldnt even last one day on the yard. And to those of you who think the officers will start something just to prove a point think about the article where the inmate was killed at high desert when it was fully staffed. it doesnt matter how many officers are there inmates are violent and aggressive by nature and they could snap at anytime.
Then get another job. Slavery is illegal. No one is forcing you to work there.
cruisn102 how bout you go get and education you burger flippin lowlife... no one cares that you and your husband made terrible life decisions and couldnt get into a decent job. you dont know the stress that goes on inside a prison. being surrounded by hundrends of inmates at a time knowing the only back up you have is a minimum of 5 mins away and thats only if your able to get the call out over the radio. as for the paycut most of us do have families that we have to tend to.... and in case you dont factor in the gas prices we do have to travel alot further than your stupid bus route ever will.
To John.Witherlow what do u know abaut NDOC employees, did u know that inmates have more rights than u do, they get free cable, 3 meals a day a warm bed and acces to an inmate store and coffee shop. Staff does not abuse inmates i think your a just a liberal scum bag wheight till some thug victimizes you, lets see how u feel abaut prisoners after...
Watch NDOC employees closely. I would not put it past them to "manufacture" violent incidents to substantiate their claim that furlough will endanger public safety. Investigate any incident that may occur to determined whether NDOC employee instigated or caused the problem.
The NDOC needs to STOP treating prisoner like animals and begin treating them like human beings that made a mistake. Treat a man like an animal and he will respond in kind.
It is about time NDOC employees faced the same hardships of other state workers.
Oh you poor wimpy people don't want a pay cut, that is so sad..........you make more than what my husband and I do together. I'll take your job in a heart beat even if they want to take a 10% cut.... Tighten your belts like the rest of us are doing, at least you have a job.
Here's the deal.. As a proud Rebpublican... I am starting to see my money dissapear... Now it's time for me to run to mommy.. (The Democrats).. :)
OK! Enough is enough. We really need a state legislator to put in a bill to give state workers Collective Bargaining rights. It was when Miller was Governor, but he vetoed it. What Democrat has the nerve to try?? Any of you? I worked for 23 years for the state, We got 1%, 2%. 3%, once. The city and county workers that I worked with enforcing rules and regulations, landed up with 20 to 30 thousand dollars more a year over those 23 years.
I was told my health insurance and life insurance would continue in retirement, and your cutting those benefits. State workers need collective bargaining. They earned it, deserve it, and you depend on them. Any Democratic legislator got the guts??
Ever wonder why Sandoval wouldn't release any of his plans during his campaign? He didn't have a clue what he was getting into. Cutting the education budget is a good idea. Keep Nevadan's from becoming educated and they'll vote for someone who won't state what they plan to do if elected. Those of us who voted for him deserve what we get. Figure it out Nevada.