HARTFORD — The state's nearly 46,000 public employees are receiving big pay raises, and Republican lawmakers are warning of long-term fiscal implications for Connecticut taxpayers and state coffers. .
The agreement between Gov. Ned Lamont and the State Employees Bargaining Agents Coalition (SEBAC), which represents 35 government unions, grants public sector workers a 2.5% pay increase and 2% incremental raises. The SEBAC contract passed the state Senate on a 24-12 vote along party lines, and was approved in the state House on a 106-44 vote with support from a minority of Republicans. This contract takes effect on his July 1, 2024.
“State employees provide many critical services to Connecticut residents, including protecting our families, keeping the roads we drive safe, and caring for our most vulnerable residents,” said Governor Ned Lamont. We are providing it.” “This wage increase will ensure we have the highest quality state employees who can fill these important roles. We are committed to negotiating this reasonable pay adjustment that balances the needs of state employees and taxpayers. I would like to thank the General Assembly and everyone involved.”
But Republican lawmakers say the pay increases are neither reasonable nor fair to the state's taxpayers, families and businesses, and that additional spending will inevitably lead to future tax increases.
State Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich) argued against the need for further raises for state employees, highlighting the disparity that exists between public and private pay growth in the state. A recent study by Dr. Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute found that over the past four years, salary increases and lump sum benefits given to Connecticut state employees amounted to 33%, compared to 17% in wage increases. It is said that he did. Contemporaneous effects realized by private sector workers.
Fazio said prioritizing state employee compensation over the state's other important needs imposes an unfair burden on middle-class families.
“If we are paying SEBAC employees at a 30 to 40 percent premium compared to the people who are paying these bills, they are struggling to make ends meet and their cost of living is increasing year after year. “Connecticut taxpayers have the second-highest taxes in the country, and this is not fair by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.
Republican state lawmakers also expressed concerns about the deal's impact on future budgets.
State Sen. Eric Barthel (R-Watertown) said the SEBAC contract would add billions of dollars in new spending over time, further increasing the state's already severely underfunded pension liability. Then he said. Barthel argues that this year's 4.5% pay hike for union workers will force the state to raise taxes or cut spending in the future.
“The raises included in this resolution…will continue in perpetuity and will increase costs in all future budget considerations and contracts. We do not have the ability to print money in the basement of this building,” Barthel said. Ta. “My concern is that we can't make Connecticut more affordable, even though it will cost Congress and state taxpayers more money in the future. We want businesses and families to be here. It diminishes the appeal of staying there.”
