Comments on: Members of big L.A. public union have too had raises; Times is wrong

By: Rex the Wonderdog!

Rex the Wonderdog! — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 18:19:05 +0000

SeeSaw says:
October 1, 2013 at 7:51 am
Step raises are built into the respective pay ranges to reward the employee who does a good job and stays with the employer.
==
Oh seesaw, ….you sure do make me laugh 😉

By: S Moderation Douglas

S Moderation Douglas — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 17:25:16 +0000

In reply to SeeSaw.

If all I ever got were step raises, I would be making about $850 a month now.

A teacher, starting out when I did in 1973, even with 20 step raises, would be making little more than that.

That WOULD save the state a lot of money, though.

Actually, I think Chis may have a point. A “step raise” is an actual raise, based on increased skill, education, and experience.

A “COLA” is not a raise at all. It is merely an adjustment of salary to correct for diminished value of the dollar. Otherwise we’d all still be making $1 an hour, like I did in 1965.

But, semantics aside, “step raises” is still:

A non story.

And the glass is still at least half full.

By: SeeSaw

SeeSaw — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 15:49:21 +0000

Step raises are usually given in five increments and, in the past, it took three and one-half years to reach the final step. A 15-step range, for municipalities, in my knowledge, provides for smaller increases at each step, than the normal five-step range. Some part-time ranges contain only one step. Part-timers are the forgotten workers in municipal government, just like how it also is now for private-sector bank employees.

When my spouse was smoking in the 50’s and 60’s, a carton of Lucky Strike cost $2.15–now the same is $60/carton. A roll of Scott, 1000, toilet tissue could be bought for a nickel–now the same roll is almost a dollar. Imagine how all those raises in the public and private work sectors could have been saved if the cost of living had stood in place.

By: S Moderation Douglas

S Moderation Douglas — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 15:22:46 +0000

Eliminate all the steps. Start them all off at full pay. Problem solved.

You’re welcome.

By: SeeSaw

SeeSaw — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 14:51:03 +0000

Step raises are built into the respective pay ranges to reward the employee who does a good job and stays with the employer. When the pundits say there were no raises, they are talking about general across-the-board cost of living increases that help workers keep their heads above water. The workers that are being forgotten in the municipal sector are the part-timers. The ones who work at my former workplace have not gotten step raises in several years–some have never been moved beyond Step A, because all of the raises, that being granted, are going to Management.

By: Chris Reed

Chris Reed — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 04:41:43 +0000

So funny to see public employees or former public employees pretend “step” pay hikes are a “non story.” It’s why so many school districts spend 85 percent plus of their operating budgets on compensation, way more than in the 1980s. Why? Step increases usually given to teachers for 15 of their first 20 years on the job.

By: BillyBS

BillyBS — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 21:37:59 +0000

Blah blah, so clueless as to be a danger to fellow citizens. What a dunce.

By: S Moderation Douglas

S Moderation Douglas — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:55:07 +0000

You could realistically say that new workers are hired in at reduced pay until they pass probation and gain experience. In that case, step increases SAVED the state $125 million in 2008.

When I was promoted to my last position, I had two step raises, not five. That was over thirty years ago. I have seen several new hires who got no step raises because they were hired in at the top step, due to previous experience.

Seema Mehta didn’t mention step raises because they are a non story.