June 15th, 2009

Today John Baer focuses his column on state workers who are getting increasingly nervous as the budget deadline draws closer.  Baer says they are rightfully antsy, as they could face payless paydays if an impasse occurs (very likely), and once a budget is passed between 600-800 could lose their jobs, according to the governor’s office.

Writes Baer in the Philadelphia Daily News:

Republicans say that in tough times you don’t raise taxes or spend money you don’t have. Democrats say you don’t abandon people reliant on government services and you don’t stop investing in the future.

Caught in the middle are maybe 95,000 (of 100,000) state employees who, starting next month, could go without pay.

“They have nothing to do with the budget,” says David Fillman, head of the largest state workers’ union, AFSCME 13, “but employees get put in the middle . . . we’re used by both sides.”

It doesn’t need to be so. Until differences are hammered into compromise, the Legislature should pass and the governor should sign a stopgap budget (it’s been done before) to keep the state running and its workers paid.

Who are they?

They’re 45 years old, on average, with a dozen years’ service. They average $68,000 a year in salary and benefits, they take nine sick days annually and 82 percent of them are represented by unions.

 Baer’s conclusion:

Now I understand that work forces everywhere are being trimmed. But these people pay bills and taxes and contribute to the economy and should not be used as pawns for pols.

And until the Guv, the Legislature and Cabinet officials cut their own pay, perks and staff size, spend down their slush funds and use the Rainy Day Fund, state workers and their families should not face a single payless payday.