House Republicans Take Action to Reject State Employee Pay Raise

Rep. Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham) introduced House Concurrent Resolution 42 on Tuesday. This resolution would reject the unionized state employees negotiated 3% pay increase scheduled to take effect October 1. This 3% wage increase was part of a three year contract negotiated and ratified in 2007. The 3 year contract included a 0% wage increase the 1st year, 1 % the second year and a 3 % for the upcoming final year.

Bill Nowling, press secretary for House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer (R-Kewadin) told MIRS that “this is something that just has to be done. The Governor was told not to negotiate pay raises but she did anyway and then baked it into her budget.” Nowling went on to say that “negotiating this pay hike was just wrong-headed thinking.” 

HCR 42 has 28 Republican co-sponsors and one Democrat. Both the House and Senate have until April 11th to pass a resolution by a super majority vote in order to reject the increase.

Contact your Senator and Representative and ask them to not support any resolution to reject your pay increase and honor the contract that was negotiated in good faith. State employees have already saved the taxpayer $3.7 billion including $3.3 billion in wages, $143 million in pension costs, and $300 million in health costs. When will enough be enough?