|
Madison– Governor Scott Walker today announced the Department of Corrections has saved more than $2.1 million in overtime costs in the first 3 months of 2012. Compared to 2011, overtime costs have dropped sharply and are a direct result of a new compensation plan and work rules made possible by Governor Walker’s reforms ending collective bargaining abuses.
“State employees deserve to be compensated fairly for the hard work and time they give to the state,” Said Governor Walker. “Unfortunately, compensation in overtime was abused. Over the years, because of collective bargaining contracts, state leaders were unable to make common sense reforms to end this abuse. Because of the reforms we put in place, state leaders are taking the necessary steps to end the abuse, saving millions for taxpayers, and continuing to fairly compensate state workers.”
A new compensation plan made possible by Governor Walker’s reforms ends sick leave abuses and inflated overtime costs. Previously, master contracts as well as 52 local contracts inefficiently governed overtime. Among those provisions, overtime was offered to those with the most seniority first, which guaranteed the highest cost to the taxpayers. Under Governor Walker’s reforms, a new overtime policy not only saves money, but offers all employees a fair opportunity to earn overtime pay if they choose, which means junior employees will also have the opportunity to earn more for their families.
Governor Walker’s reforms will also allow the Department of Corrections to explore modern payroll systems that will make the agency more efficient. This was another concern identified by the Governor’s Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Commission.
The Commission found sick leave overtime at the Department of Corrections more than doubled other state employees. After the new compensation plan and work rules have went into effect, sick leave hours dropped by 27.9% compared to the prior month under the old rules and policies.
Overtime abuse has been a reoccurring subject of audits and media reports over the years. However this is the first time a Governor has actually taken adequate steps to solve the problem.
Articles on state agency overtime from years past:
Guards use sick days to inflate salary
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 3, 2008
Some top $100,000 in overtime
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
June 12, 2008
Corrections official reviews sick leave use
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 8, 2008
Corrections officers rack up paychecks
Oshkosh Northwestern
May 5, 2008
Editorial: The sick leave shuffle
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 7, 2008
Some state workers more than doubling pay with overtime
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 17, 2010
Nine state workers earned more than $65,000 each in overtime
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 19, 2011
To read more about saving money by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government, go to Governor Walker’s website, www.walker.wi.gov and click on “reform”.
####
|