September 2009

M/Cs SAY:  WE DESERVE A FAIR SHAKE!

 Issue – Governor withholds ONLY M/C salary increases

 ● Governor Paterson seeks to withhold ALL 2009-2010 3% raises to state employees through Article VII.  Budget Bill Part BB. 

·        ● Budget passes without the Governor’s recommendation to stop all raises.

·        ● March 25, 2009 – Division of the Budget authorizes 3% across the board salary increase, performance advance (steps) & merit payments for employees designated management/confidential (M/C).  (Chapter 10 of the Laws of 2008, Part B).

·        ● April 2009 - Governor announces 8,900 layoffs of state Executive Branch employees.

·        ● April 2009 – Governor removes M/Cs (where legally allowed) from layoffs.  8,900 layoffs now set at 8,700.  Director of State Operations Dennis Whalen rescinds M/C salary increases.  State touts a $461 million savings.

·        ● April 2009 – PEF and CSEA represented employees receive their 3% across the board salary increase, performance advances (steps) and performance awards (longevity payments).

·        ● During April and May, OMCE, PEF and CSEA meet with the Paterson Administration to discuss alternatives to layoffs.

·        ● May 2009 - Conceptual agreement on a 2 week rolling pay date lag payroll (one week in Fall, one week in Spring) is reached; $692 million - $950 million saved in fiscal year 2009-2010. M/C increases to be paid.

·        ● June 5 – CSEA, PEF and the Paterson Administration announce agreement to stop layoffs/threat of layoffs, unions support for a modified Pension Tier V, a $20,000 severance bonus initiative and an increased usage of VRWS (voluntary furlough).  Unions claim contracts not re-opened.

·        ● Late July – Comptroller calls for legislation or written agreement on severance component of the PEF/CSEA deal.  Memorandum of Understanding signed by PEF and CSEA outlining the original “handshake agreement.” Failure to negotiate Improper Practice charges are withdrawn by the unions.  The signed MOU belies any claims contract was not amended.

·        ● Late August /early September – Executive Branch agencies receive cash spending targets; develop savings plans to meet these targets.  Plans may consist of administrative cost reductions, abolition of funded/unfilled vacancies, abolition of positions held by severance initiative participants, and increased usage of VWRS program (voluntary furlough).

Perspective

Actions that took place since M/C raises were withheld in April 2009:

·        ● Payments of April 2009 salary increases to all state employees with contracts except M/Cs.

·        ● Retroactive contracts implemented and increases paid to State Police, BCI of State Police, NYSCOBA, AFSCME Council 82.

·        ● Raises for Executive Chamber staff (up to 46% increases). (Comptroller states no significant increase in duties for most recipients).

·        ● Appointments of Executive Chamber staff at salaries exceeding $125,000 (more than many agency commissioners and career M/C employees).

·       ●  4% increase for ALL MTA workers.

·        ● July 2009 – NYC Mayor Bloomberg restores raises that were withheld to NYC M/Cs for 2008 and 2009.

·        ● July 2009 - NYC Council gives 8% raises and bonuses to Council staff.

·        ● July 2009 - MTA agreed to pay an $850,000 “golden parachute” to Jay Walder, nominee to head MTA, if he doesn’t complete his term.

·        ● April – September – Senate salary increases for selected staff and new hiring in excess of $1 million.

Future Legislative Action

·        ● Proposed legislation will be submitted for sponsorship to amend Civil Service Law. Proposed changes will continue the Budget Director’s authority to withhold statutorily based compensation increases.  At the end of the first fiscal quarter if the state’s received revenue is less than 10% below the stated DOB projection for said quarter, the Budget Director’s authority to withhold compensation shall cease and all affected employees will receive full retroactive restoration of compensation lost by said Director’s actions.

● Proposed legislation will be submitted for sponsorship that would amend the Retirement and Social Security law to allow for two (2) years of retirement service credit to be added to the creditable service of any state employee designated M/C who has a statutorily approved increase in compensation withheld by the Director of the Division of the Budget for fiscal necessity.

April 29, 2009

Ms. Laura Anglin

Budget Director

Division of Budget

State Capital

Albany, NY 12224-0341

Mr. Dennis Whalen

Director of State Operations

State Capital

Albany, NY 12224

Dear Ms. Anglin and Mr. Whalen:

OMCE continues to believe that once the rhetoric on all sides subsides and reason prevails, we will have a positive resolution ending the need for layoffs as well as the disparate treatment of the M/C employee’s compensation.

To that end, we continue to support the concept of implementing a one week “rolling paydate lag.”  This moving forward of one’s paydate one day for five consecutive administration and institutional paydates would save the State a full administrative and institutional payroll (savings with 46% fringe benefits = $692 million).  This “lagged” week of payroll would be payable upon separation from state service.

This “rolling paydate lag” would provide enough funding to eliminate the nee for the $481 million worth of layoffs as well as restoring all compensation increases denied M/C designated employees.

It is clear that from the input we have received, this is a sacrifice that M/C’s are willing to make given the projected benefits.

You asked us to provide additional savings proposals.  We are not going to repeat those previously proposed but after receiving members suggestions on our “Savings4NY@gmail.com site, it is important that the most salient be shared, along with our projected savings.

They are:

-          Offer expanded opportunities for VRWS.  Many employees use or would like to use this program to achieve more time off/accrue more leave time/save on dependent care, fuel, etc..  (Savings:  $7 million).

-          Seek volunteers and offer leave without pay for up to six months with health insurance coverage maintained at current sharing of premium.  (Savings:  $20 million {assumes at least 500 participants}).

-          Offer and manage OMCE’s Succession Planning Incentive (attached) (Savings $120 million per 2000 plans).

-          A “Green Initiative”. Pilot projects linking VRWS and telecommuting for those not directly involved with face to face public contact.  (Savings:  $2 million).

-          Eliminate phone lines that are still “active” in the phone closets but not connected to a phone jack (swinging lines).  One M/C employee spearheaded an agency project like this and saved the agency $300,000.  (Savings:  $2million).

-          Eliminate all §212 (Social Security & Retirement Law) waiver employees (not part of a Succession Planning Initiative) and create FTE appropriate positions for current employed eligibles.  Vacated positions of those newly promoted must be examined for attrition/re-fill.  (Savings: $3 million).

-          Eliminate duplicative if not confusing agency operations such as “Communications Office” in agencies already having a “Division of Public Affairs as well as a Press Office. (Savings:  $3million)

-          Sunset unused “member items” after 2 years.  These continuing reappropriations are estimated to be at least $500,000.

-          Charge motorists from other states seeking DMV statements indicating all tickets/fines/penalties they owe in New York are resolved. ($5 fee = potential revenue of $1 million)

-          Charge attorneys for duplicate copies of tickets.  Ticket was given to their client.  No need for the State to absorb the cost ($5 fee = potential revenue of $1 million).

-          Review and eliminate duplicative or superfluous LEXIS and similar accounts. ($500,000) (Traffic Violations Offices of DMV, various ALJ operations with specific defined responsibilities do not need full all access subscriptions.

While outside the Executive Branch:

-          Some scrutiny is needed on consultant contracts being let by OSC.  Projects such as “VendRep”, PORTAL (Retirement System Web Access) and the yet non-monikered $60 million revamping of NYSLRS & NYS PFRDS computer systems can be done by state employees. ($60 million).

-          Appoint a new Pension Task Force comprised of an equal number/equal representation of workers, retirees and employers.  This group should be commissioned to issue proposals on such topics of the Comptroller as the sole trustee, retirees COLA issues, correcting current Tier inequities, new pension tiers, revocation of pensions for convicted felons etc., for all the public pension systems.

A conservative estimate indicated that over $200 million could be realized with the implementations of these suggestions.  Coupled with the “lag savings” $900 million in savings is attainable in FY 2009-2010.

It is our desire to continue open and frank discussion on those possibilities for savings which will negate both the need for layoffs and the continued withholding of M/C compensation items.

Sincerely,

Joseph B. Sano

Executive Director

August 3, 2009

Honorable David Paterson

Governor, New York State

State Capitol

Albany, New York 12224

Dear Governor Paterson:

            We write again to implore you to restore the 2009-2010 fiscal year 3% salary increases, performance advances, longevity pay and merit pay for the State’s M/C employees.  As you are well aware, your administration has withheld these compensation benefits from M/C employees.

            When M/C employees were removed from Taylor Law coverage, Governor Rockefeller indicated that, while he felt it inappropriate to negotiate with the State’s M/C employees, they regardless should be treated “no less well” than those workers who are able to engage in collective bargaining with the State.  Governor Rockefeller recognized that, even though M/C employees would not be guaranteed contractual protections, it remained critically important that the State treat equally its unrepresented work force and afford them the same or similar opportunities and benefits given by the State to employees who were represented. 

            Despite understanding the vital need for even-handed treatment of the State’s work force, your administration has taken arbitrary and discriminatory action in withholding the 3% salary increases and other compensation benefits from only M/C employees and other unrepresented workers.  The unequal treatment of M/C employees, who constitute only a fraction of the State’s work force, must be stopped, corrected and avoided in the future.

            On March 25, 2009, your administration issued Budget Bulletin D-1123, which stated that “[a]s a general rule, the April 1, 2009 three percent general salary increase, performance advances and merit awards will be paid to eligible M/Cs and other unrepresented employees.”  According to those guidelines, agency heads could recommend withholding the pay raises only on an individual basis, subject to the approval of the Budget Director and based on certain criteria, in particular the employee’s job performance. 

            Yet, on April 2, 2009—just one week after the 2009-10 pay raises were announced—your administration announced that all of these compensation benefits would be withheld from M/C employees.  Your administration further claimed then that the withholdings were “necessary to reduce the State’s financial obligations in the face of a severe fiscal situation,” despite the fact that M/C employees account for only approximately 5.5% of the State’s work force and despite the fact that the State had been facing a fiscal crisis for months and that we were engaged in discussions on alternate cost savings.  One such alternate cost savings was a “rolling payday” lag pay proposal. This deal on lag payroll would have produced savings well beyond what VWRS and Voluntary Severance will.

            Your administration continues to violate the principles of equal protection when it takes action that causes the disparate treatment of a certain group of government public servants with respect to salary and other compensation benefits.  The employee’s membership in a collective bargaining unit is simply not a rational reason for giving that employee a benefit otherwise denied an unrepresented worker.

            The majority of M/C employees are career employees who have earned their positions through competitive examination.  M/C (confidential) employees in clerical, secretarial and administrative support positions have job responsibilities and duties that are generally comparable to their CSEA represented counterparts, as are their salaries, while M/C employees in higher grade level ”professional” positions earn salaries generally comparable to PEF represented employees.

            By denying the 3% pay raise and other compensation benefits to M/C employees that were afforded to represented employees, the State created arbitrary compensation differentials amongst its work force that cannot be justified and results in a Classification and Compensation system that is a sham.  The involuntary exclusion of M/C employees from the collective bargaining process has absolutely no relevancy whatsoever to the State’s fiscal situation.  Nor frankly has the State shown how the withholdings from this segment of the State’s work force can accomplish a meaningful reduction of State expenditures when 95% of the work force is fully compensated.

            However, despite the fact that we firmly believe that the State’s denial of the 3% pay raise and other compensation benefits from only unrepresented workers is inherently unfair and illegal, poor public and management policy, we remain dedicated to resolving this discrepancy and disagreement with your administration.  We can not accept that it is your administration’s intent to single out the M/C’s for disparate treatment, even during these extraordinary times.  We believe that direct advocacy with your administration about viable cost-savings alternatives to layoffs and salary withholdings still remains a productive path to correcting this injustice.  Thus, at this time, we will not pursue relief through the courts that we believe can better be accomplished through dialogue and cooperation.

            OMCE has been involved in meetings and discussions with your office and your staff since November 2008 when you first began calling for concessions from the work force to address the State’s budget deficit.  We want to continue to work with your administration to ensure restoration of all monies taken away and that all M/C employees are equally treated by the State in future initiatives and programs. We ask that you work with us to preserve and protect the rights and benefits of M/C employees.

            Beyond your immediate staff, M/C employees are responsible for running state government, ensuring that NYS residents are served by government programs and for carrying out your policies.  You need these M/C employees and you need to pay them what they are due.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                    Barbara Zaron                                     Joseph B. Sano

                                    President                                          Executive Director

cc:  Larry Schwartz

      Valerie Grey

      Robert Megna

                                                                         August 11, 2009

Mr. Robert L. Megna

Director of the Budget

State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224

Dear Mr. Megna,

            As you are no doubt aware, OMCE has been working since April 2009 to obtain restoration of the withheld M/C salary increases, performance advances, longevity and merit payments.  We have enclosed a chart based on our analysis of the dollar value loss to M/Cs at each grade level.

            What’s even more disheartening is the rejection of the lag payroll plan because of the unions’ refusal to re-open their contracts.  The recently executed written MOU additions demonstrate the folly in not pursuing the lag pay proposals under discussion. The lag payroll provisions would have produced real savings and significantly more savings than the VRWS and Voluntary Severance Programs.

            We know that you are now busy preparing another deficit reduction plan, “the Economic and Fiscal Recovery Plan” to be released in September.

            We also know that you appreciate the need for and importance of having experienced, competent, career M/C employees to manage state government, especially in these precarious financial times. So, included here are our initial proposals:

v     Restore the M/C 3% salary increase, performance advance, longevity

 and merit payments.                                                                                              Cost:      $20 million.                                                                                                                                     

v     Revisit the lag payroll proposals agreed to earlier this year.                                      Savings: $692 million.

v     Count savings on attrited positions off payroll in 2008-09.                                       Savings: $110 million.

v     Count savings for funded unfilled positions given up by agencies.                             Savings:  $50 million.

v     Manage equipment, furniture, auto and temporary staff leasing.                                Savings:  $50 million.

v     Reduce political appointee hiring and control salaries (no higher than

 comparable career employee salaries).                                                                  Savings:  $ 25 million.

v     Continue to reduce contracting out.                                                                        Savings:  $100 million.

v     Additional managerial savings and efficiencies.                                                        Savings: $50 million.

                                                                                                                                         Savings: $1.3 billion (revised)

            Indeed, if the Voluntary Severance initiative has even a modest success of 1,000 participants, there would be an additional savings of $100 million realized.

            Ultimately both the responsibility and the burden of managing the governmental services of New York State falls to the M/C employees, the only group singled out to not get their salary and other compensation increases.

            It is not too late to correct this injustice!

            OMCE remains ready to collaboratively work with the Paterson Administration to restore M/Cs lost earnings while providing real, quickly attainable savings needed to close the 2009-10 budget deficit. We look forward to discussing these and other ideas with you.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                                    Barbara Zaron                                                Joseph Sano

                                    President                                             Executive Director

                                                                        August 21, 2009

Ms. Valerie Grey

Director of State Operations

Executive Chamber

State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224

Dear Val:

            Thanks for spending so much time with us – discussing the issues of restoration of the withheld 2009-2010 M/C salary increases, cost savings proposals and the Voluntary Severance Initiative.  We appreciate your time and interest.

            As a follow up to the questions asked, we have enclosed a description of jurisdictional classification, which describes the competitive, non-competitive and exempt classifications; the most recent data on M/C’s in each of these classifications, along with jurisdictional classification comparison data – for the entire workforce – 1999-2009; salary grade distribution of the entire workforce along with a description of the Management/Confidential workforce excerpted from the 2008 Civil Service Department Workforce Report.   All of this data is accessible at the Civil Service Department website, www.cs.state.ny.us.

            Also enclosed is a copy of a recent letter to Budget Director Megna reiterating savings opportunities previously discussed and identified.  As suggested, we will be contacting your office for a follow-up to our meeting and this most recent letter to Director Megna.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                        Barbara Zaron                                                             Joseph B. Sano

                        President                                                                     Executive Director

                                                                        September 4, 2009

Governor David Paterson

Executive Chamber

State Capitol

Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Paterson:

            The Times Union reported that you hope for a three-way budget reduction agreement by Labor Day and that you will not publicize a “menu” of budget cutting options.

            Rather than developing your budget reduction plan, which will have significant impacts on state agencies and the state workforce, in secret, we urge you to at least brief state employee unions and OMCE leaders on your proposals.

            As you recall, we met with you personally in November 2008 and since then have been engaged in discussions with your administration about cost savings proposals.

            OMCE was disappointed when the agreement to go forward with a rolling lag payroll was dropped and your staff instead negotiated the “handshake agreement” with PEF and CSEA for VRWS and the Voluntary Severance Initiative.  These two programs cannot produce the savings that the lag payroll would – and the union’s claims of not reopening their contracts was belied by the signing of the MOU’s which are technically contract amendments.  The lag payroll, which our members considered the least objectionable of the options, had the benefit of paying M/C’s their salary increases – and still producing the equivalent of 3 weeks cash savings in the fiscal year.

            OMCE has recently sent a letter to Budget Director Megna reiterating previously identified and discussed cost savings proposals (copy attached) which equal more than $1 billion.

            So if you are again planning to affect the state workforce, we urge a recommitment to using the lag payroll proposal – which would produce over $692 million in savings.  This and other cost savings measures would clearly make possible restoration of the withheld M/C 2009-2010 pay increases which are critical to retaining career M/C employees who are essential to running state government.  We also believe that there should be serious discussion with us and the unions before implementation of shared services, consolidations, and other workforce reduction proposals are begun.

            We are hearing about agencies that are hardly able to carry out their required functions now because of already implemented reductions and we are concerned about the impact of further reductions.

            The M/C workforce has clearly given more than its fair share in the deficit reduction programs and must be “made whole.”

            We remain ready to work with your administration to find reasonable cost savings that will not harm the workforce or New York residents.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                        Barbara Zaron                                                             Joseph B. Sano

                        President                                                                     Executive Director

cc:  Valerie Grey

       Jeffrey Mans

       Robert Megna

August 2009

Dear Member:

            We’re sure you’re not happy.  We are not happy either.  The disparate treatment of M/C employees must cease.  We will continue our work toward that end.  We thank you for your membership and ask for your active participation in our efforts to correct this injustice.

            After considerable deliberation and in consultation with our attorneys at Hinman Straub, P.C., the OMCE Board of Directors has determined not to pursue at this time an uncertain outcome in litigation regarding the State’s withholding of the three percent pay raise and other increases from M/C employees in 2009-10. Instead, OMCE will concentrate its efforts and resources at advancing other types of advocacy to obtain the equitable salary increases that our members were promised and deserve. 

            These advocacy activities will include continuing and ramping up our contacts and meetings with administration and budget officials to secure restoration of the withheld M/C salary increases and performance steps, etc.  In this regard, we immediately requested a meeting with the Governor’s newly appointed Director of State Operations, Valerie Grey, who replaces Dennis Whalen with whom we had been dealing.  We also will continue to pursue our legislative strategy, which includes meetings with legislative leaders and individual legislators, and increase our public relations activities, to garner support for our efforts to fend off discriminatory and arbitrary treatment of M/C employees by the State and ensure that M/C employees are equally treated in any future administration initiatives that concern the State workforce. 

            Finally, we are asking you to fully participate in these increased efforts to persuade the administration to restore the M/C pay cuts. Meanwhile, we are continuing our Vacation Buyback lawsuit – oral argument is scheduled for August 5.

            While our gut reaction was to litigate this issue, the Board decision was based on extensive discussions and review of a comprehensive legal analysis.  We honestly believe that restoration of M/C monies will only occur if enough pressure is applied to this administration.

            We hope you are willing to play an active part in our enhanced advocacy campaign.

            Please see the enclosed model letters to the Governor and the Legislature (your Senator, your Assemblymember) that we are asking our members to send.  We are also asking you to meet with your own legislators to tell them how allowing the Governor to withhold your salary increases affects you.  The M/C PayBill, giving salary increases passed by the Legislators also gives the Administration the authority to withhold the increases.  We will ask for your "stories" as we develop our public relations advocacy campaign.  Your “stories” can be sent to our email – nysomce@gmail.com.

            Again, thanks for your membership and thanks in advance for participating in this advocacy campaign.

            Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss.  We can be reached at (518) 456-5241 or (800) 828-6623.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                        Barbara Zaron                                                                        Joseph B. Sano

                        President                                                                     Executive Director

Enclosures:       Letter to Governor

                        Senate/Assembly Letter

Dear Senator/Assemblymember:

            The April 2009 Executive Budget that you passed included $500 million in administrative reductions which were left to the Governor’s discretion on how to achieve these savings.

            The Governor proposed a series of workforce actions.  The primary action taken by the Governor was withholding the Management/Confidential (M/C) salary increases, performance advances, merit and longevity payments, which were authorized in Chapter 10 of the Laws of 2008.  At the same time, union represented employees under contract were paid their comparable salary increases.

            Another Gubernatorial proposal, layoffs of 8,900 employees, was mitigated by subsequent agreements with CSEA and PEF to expand the Voluntary Reduced Work Schedule Program [VRWS] and implement a Voluntary Severance Initiative [VSI], and to support Tier V.  The VRWS and VSI programs were extended to M/C employees.  Since April 2009, OMCE has been in discussion with the Governor’s executive staff to reverse the M/C withholdings.  Neither M/C employees nor OMCE ever agreed to this arbitrary withholding action.  We discussed a variety of cost savings options and had tentative agreement on a rolling pay date lag payroll before those discussions fell apart when the unions said they wouldn’t re-open their contracts.

            The Governor just announced $260.3 million in savings over the next two years through an overall workforce reduction of 3,722 positions, 2,633 to be reduced through attrition and elimination of funded vacancies and authorization of 1,089 targeted one-time severance initiative payments.  These savings should allow the Governor to restore the M/Cs salary increases.

            You may be hearing from your M/C constituents and their families who are outraged and question why only M/C employees have been singled out for this disparate treatment.

            We are also requesting you take an active role to help convince the Governor to restore these withheld M/C increases.  Not only does it make little fiscal sense to withhold our members’ pay increases,  (they will cost $16 million, and we proposed $1 billion in savings) but state operations are already suffering from the negative impact of this action.  For example, M/Cs are retiring, and employees are giving up or refusing M/C positions to go into union represented positions only because they will be paid significantly higher salaries.  Without competent, qualified career M/C employees state agencies are seriously hampered in carrying out their responsibilities.

            Enclosed is a summary timeline of this issue and a salary comparison chart showing the negative impact on M/Cs.

            We appreciate your consideration.

            Please feel free to contact us for additional information.

                                                                        Sincerely

                                    Barbara Zaron                                                 Joseph B. Sano

                                                                  October 1, 2009

Honorable Sheldon Silver

NYS Assembly Speaker

LOB – Room 932

Albany, NY 12248

Dear Assemblymember Silver:

            We are writing to follow-up on a conversation we had with you recently on the need for your assistance to work with Governor Paterson to restore to Management/Confidential employees (M/Cs) the April 2009 3% salary increases, performance advances, merit and longevity payments that were withheld.

            M/C employees, the majority of them in competitive class positions obtained through examination, were singled out for this unfair treatment while all union represented employees under contract were paid the same increase.

            OMCE has and will continue to propose cost savings options to address the State’s financial condition.  However, it is critical to the State’s ability to effectively run its agencies and programs to retain the experienced, knowledgeable managerial and confidential employees who have been performing these essential functions and for them to be treated fairly and paid the salary increases provided for in statute.

            We are losing these experienced career managers and confidential employees to retirement and voluntarily giving up their M/C positions to go into a union represented position simply to be paid more than they can earn in their M/C position.

            This is unfair and unacceptable and poor public policy.  Your assistance in working with the Governor to provide M/C employees just compensation is urgently needed.  We are of course available for further discussions.

            Thank you for your consideration.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                        Barbara Zaron                                                                        Joseph B. Sano

                        President                                                                                Executive Director

BZ:JBS:bjs

Enclosure

                                                                    October 1, 2009

Honorable Dean Skelos

Member, NYS Senate

LOB – Room 907

Albany, NY 12247

Dear Senator Skelos:

            We are writing to follow-up on a conversation we had with you recently on the need for your assistance to work with Governor Paterson to restore to Management/Confidential employees (M/Cs) the April 2009 3% salary increases, performance advances, merit and longevity payments that were withheld.

            M/C employees, the majority of them in competitive class positions obtained through examination, were singled out for this unfair treatment while all union represented employees under contract were paid the same increase.

            OMCE has and will continue to propose cost savings options to address the State’s financial condition.  However, it is critical to the State’s ability to effectively run its agencies and programs to retain the experienced, knowledgeable managerial and confidential employees who have been performing these essential functions and for them to be treated fairly and paid the salary increases provided for in statute.

            We are losing these experienced career managers and confidential employees to retirement and voluntarily giving up their M/C positions to go into a union represented position simply to be paid more than they can earn in their M/C position.

            This is unfair and unacceptable and poor public policy.  Your assistance in working with the Governor to provide M/C employees just compensation is urgently needed.  We are of course available for further discussions.

            Thank you for your consideration.

                                                                        Sincerely,

                        Barbara Zaron                                                                        Joseph B. Sano

                        President                                                                                Executive Director

BZ:JBS:bjs

Enclosure

 Legislative Leaders and Committee Chairs Contact Information