PA state employees not getting paid - how is this legal?

[jlkpak]

My husband works for the PA Department of Corrections. He is not getting paid. The politicans are getting their paychecks along with their per diem pay of about $150 a day while they discuss this budget. The ruled that all "non essential state employees are to not get paid." This includes correction officers, state police, and penn dot who work on the roads. I would like to know how the police and prison guards are considered "non essential" but the governor and all those politicans are essential. The governor's body guards are state police. What if the prison guards didnt go to work then no one would be there to keep the inmates in? Then what if the state police didnt go to work then no one would be there to pick up those inmates or other criminals. My family lives paycheck to paycheck, and the fact that he will not be getting paid for who knows how long really makes me mad. I am a nurse and now I have to work 60 hour work weeks to try and make up the difference. How can I explain to my 5 yr and 1 yr old boys that mommys not ever home because I have to try and make extra money to pay our bills. I just pray and hope that they resolve this sooner rather than later. I think that these politicans should be made to sit down and make a decision on this budget and NOT get paid until it is done!

 

[sillypaguy72]

but i bet if you collect welfare in PA you are still getting paid.
so lets see quit working go on welfare
work for the state go to work and not get paid

and the best part is that without the budget getting passed, they get to take long weekends!

 

[Kathi OD]

I watch all 4 news channels in Philly and they said he wants to raise it 16% for 3 years. They could be wrong and I could have misinterpreted what they said. I don't think I am because if it were only a 16% increase on what we pay now I think a compromise could have been reached by now. I go to church with a state worker so I will ask her what she knows and respond again later today with an update from her.

You misunderstood. He wants to raise it 16% on what you pay now for 3 years. And yes, the legislators don't want to compromise. Rendell is a lame duck Democrat in a state where the Dems control the House and Republicans control the Senate. That takes a lot of bipartisan-ship to get things done.

 

[tazdev3225]

You misunderstood. He wants to raise it 16% on what you pay now for 3 years. And yes, the legislators don't want to compromise. Rendell is a lame duck Democrat in a state where the Dems control the House and Republicans control the Senate. That takes a lot of bipartisan-ship to get things done.

If you had read a few more of my posts you would have seen that I acknowledged that I misunderstood the newscasts that only said a 16% raise in taxes without clarifying it. I know what the problems are as I did a lot of reading after I realized my faux pas. I also know more about Rendell than I care to as I live in Philly where he was mayor for 8 years and DH and I were both city employees who paid the price every contract. He doesn't compromise so this can take quite a while to settle.

 

[pookybean]

i just wanted to add my 2cents here. i work for a "state funded" agency in philadelphia, i just found out we will not be getting paid until further notice as well. we have been told for months now that this wont affect us....

while i dont work for the welfare office, i will say that i work in a high poverty area and i have clients now complaining about the wait list for our services. it is very hard not to give it right back to them.

people ask why not quit? well if i stay im gauranteed back pay (the state has to settle some day right?) and a job. if i quit im gauranteed nothing.

i guess i wanted to point out that this is affecting so many others, it has a ripple affect that will take a long time to recover from.

 

[MushyMushy]

i just wanted to add my 2cents here. i work for a "state funded" agency in philadelphia, i just found out we will not be getting paid until further notice as well. we have been told for months now that this wont affect us....

while i dont work for the welfare office, i will say that i work in a high poverty area and i have clients now complaining about the wait list for our services. it is very hard not to give it right back to them.

people ask why not quit? well if i stay im gauranteed back pay (the state has to settle some day right?) and a job. if i quit im gauranteed nothing.

i guess i wanted to point out that this is affecting so many others, it has a ripple affect that will take a long time to recover from.

It's supposed to not affect health care either, but I've heard from two different doctors that the insurance providers for their patients (state workers) aren't paying for their services!!! If the premiums are being paid, which I assume they are, then why wouldn't they be paying these doctors?

I can't even imagine going to work in the welfare office, helping people get benefits while being denied a paycheck. I really feel for these workers.

 

[Jsme]

I live in NC and our government has yet to pass a budget. I hope they do not do this in NC. I am a state employee.

 

[pookybean]

a few of us at my job were wondering about our health care as well.

we cant pay our vendors... but imagine this scenario:


subsidized child care centers arent getting paid

they are not able to pay their workers

the centers wont take the kids if they arent being paid

the parents cant go to work

and on and on and on....

it makes you wonder if they thought of something so far reaching.

 

[tazdev3225]

I agree about the ripple effect. Philly's mayor can't balance the city budget without the state funding and is trying to pass a 1% increase in the sales tax, also can't be done until the state works out its problems. The mayor is threatening to lay off 15% of the police force and greatly cutting back on the fire department, close all rec centers and libraries therefore putting those employees out of work. This is an unbelievable mess because a bunch of politicians can't see the big picture of who gets hurt while they refuse to do anything.

 

[jrmasm]

The only reason he is talking about a bridge budget now is to get the City of Philadelphia paid. It has nothing to do with the state workers.