State Workers To Legislature: "Why Us?"
(Posted May 16, 2011 08:30 am)
TALLAHASSEE,
FL - It was a tough legislative session for Florida
state employees. There will be fewer of them in the
fiscal year starting July 1. That date also marks the
fifth fiscal year without general pay raises. Those who
remain will find their gross pay three percent lighter
as they start kicking into the state pension pot.
Workers have taken to the street, protesting all
round the state. State Rep. Alan Williams
(D-Tallahassee) is on their side.
"If we want to run this state like a business, we've got
to take care of our state employees. They are truly the
engine in this government."
Supporters of budget cuts claim everyone has to share
the pain. But public workers point out that the wealthy
got big tax breaks at their expense. Williams says it's
not only unfair, it's not smart. He predicts that when
this budget takes effect, there will be economic
fallout.
The state employee share of health insurance costs will
not go up next fiscal year, but the legislature put the
government on a path toward a four-tier coverage scale
and a cap on how much the state will pay.
Williams warns Florida's path is on a slippery slope.
"The assault that we had on state employees this session
was probably one of the worst pieces of legislation out
there."
The number of authorized positions in the state budget
fell from 126,000 to 122,000. An estimated 1,300 of the
eliminated positions are occupied by people who will get
instant pink slips.
More information is available from the Florida
Progressive Coalition and the Florida Association for
Community Action.