Paychecks, Pensions, Contracts and Respect

PAYCHECKS

There are some basics to the employer/employee relationship. Getting paid is one of them. The Star Tribune is reporting what we already know, "Glitch delays Hennepin County employee paychecks." Most of realized Friday morning we had not been paid. As the day wore on some were paid and others not. Some only received $50, others checks were hundreds short. 
“Nobody lost any money but they didn’t get paid in a timely fashion,” Dave Lawless, the county’s director of finance and budget, said Saturday. “We’re still running down what happened and it should all be worked out by Monday, Tuesday at the latest. It was a case of ‘I got your money rather than getting mine.’ ”

“We will be talking to U.S. Bank about waiving any fees assessed to people who were affected by this error,” he said. He added that the county would consider paying any overdraft fees to an employee, should the bank balk. "   (Star Tribune)

In this day of Direct Deposit, many also have automatic withdrawals on payday.Car loans, mortgage payments, &c. No deposit means overdrafts and overdraft fees. Nice to know our employer will "consider" covering them.

When I left work I had already spoken to a Sheriff's Office payroll employee, who will remain anonymous, he said that County Payroll left work on time on Friday and wouldn't be back until Monday! If this is true it certainly shows a lack of respect for their employees and the hardships this causes. 

PENSIONS

It appears there is a move to add other people to our Correctional Pension. You can read about it here: 

Pension Commission Considers Bill to Expand Correctional Plan

CONTRACTS

As you know we are currently in contract negotiations with Hennepin County. AFSCME has reached a tentative settlement with the County. The 2.5% cost of living offered for 2014 and 2015 is behind the 3% State Corrections received and the 1% Market Adjustment for 2014 & 2015 amounts to only about 27 cents a year. 

Had we not been so far behind this would be a decent offer, but we are the lowest paid corrections officers in the metro area and this offer will not change that.

MNPEA is asking for a $3.00 an hour market adjustment. We are currently $2-4 an hour behind all of the other smaller seven county metro area jails. See previous blog article.

RESPECT

The current situation is this. Our pay is miles behind our nearest counterparts, Our employer, rather than viewing our jobs as essential and dangerous has said, " that deputy jobs at the sheriff’s office are often entry-level and become a steppingstone for positions at other law enforcement agencies." 

Our paychecks were screwed up, which we all know can happen in the electronic age, but the employer doesn't make payroll stay the weekend to fix it, because apparently our overdrawn checking accounts can wait until Monday or Tuesday.

 The word peon comes to mind.