Proposed Merit plan change opposed by state employees

A proposed pay plan met protest Tuesday from a parade of state employees who said it lets cronyism, favoritism and budget issues decide pay raises rather than on-the-job performance.

The new system would give state agency officials greater flexibility in deciding — within ranges — what, if any, pay raise each employee would receive each year. No pay increases would have to be granted.

Shirley Coody, an assistant warden at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, brought 2,172 protest letters signed by employees of five state prisons.

Coody and others, including former longtime state corrections chief Richard Stalder, suggested guaranteeing specific merit-pay increases based on employee performance ratings: 4 percent for “meets expectations,” 5 percent “exceeds expectations” and 6 percent for “outstanding” performance.

The seven commissioners could vote as early as today on the proposal.

State Civil Service panel considers proposal to end annual pay raise for state workers

The state Civil Service Commission is preparing for an overflow crowd at a Tuesday public hearing to discuss a proposal that affects the future pay of about 61,000 rank-and-file Louisiana government employees.

The seven-member commission could vote as early as Wednesday on its staff’s recommendation to end the 4 percent annual pay raise received by nearly all classified state employees who meet or exceed job expectations.

Proponents say the proposed new system would better reward employees who perform better than their colleagues. The new system would give agency heads broad authority to decide who gets pay raises and by how much within ranges.

Tuesday’s two-hour commission hearing in Baton Rouge will begin 5 p.m. in the downtown Claiborne Building’s large meeting room. Another room will be provided for the expected overflow crowd to watch the meeting.