New contract for California prison guards lifts cap on saved vacation

Los Angeles Times ^ | 4/18/11 | Jack Dolan

[NormsRevenge]

Deep in the 200-page contract that Gov. Jerry Brown recently approved for state prison guards is a provision that could generate a cash windfall to the officers when they retire.

The guards, who are among Brown's largest political benefactors, would be able to save an unlimited number of vacation days under their new deal. When they leave state service, those days could be exchanged for cash at their final pay rate, which would probably be higher than when they earned the time off.

The governor is extending this benefit only to members of the California Correctional Peace Officers Assn., a union that spent nearly $2 million to help him win election last year.

Removing the decades-old limit on accrued vacation — now 80 days for most state employees — would be a "huge liability" for taxpayers, said Nick Schroeder of the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office. Schroeder said he had not determined the cost of lifting the cap, but his analysis of the deal showed the average corrections union member has accumulated nearly 19 weeks of leave time to date. All of that time off has "a current cash value of over $600 million," he said.

The deal also would give the members 18 more days off over the life of the two-year contract, ..

Also in the proposed contract is a change in a provision that encouraged corrections officers to remain physically fit. In the past, they could get up to $130 extra each month if they met certain fitness standards. In the new contract, they would be eligible for the money if they simply go to the doctor for an annual physical, Schroeder said.

The contract still must be approved by the Legislature, which is dominated by Brown's fellow Democrats, and ratified by union members. ..

[wac3rd]

More Liberal crony union fraud, what else is expected of a senile hippy loser who created the mess?

[Cyber Ninja]

Ah, the wisdom of the elders.

If it's Brown; flush it.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

The quicker this whole house o cards collapses the quicker we can get on with rebuilding from what’s left.

[kingu]

‘Governor Brown signed a juicy $600 million payout to the prison guards union, and now he’s coming after you to pay for it... Say No to Governor Brown’s tax proposals and put an end to Democrat payoffs.’

[Porterville]

This breaks my heart. I can't believe the criminal corruption in my state.

[ScottinSacto]

My contract recently agreed to but not yet ratified by the legislature contains a favored nations clause where we will get anything better agreed to by the other BUs. At least I think it does. I know for certain the SEIU one does. My dumbass union leaders probably cannot read, but SEIU will get anything CCPOA gets.

[yadent]

A dirty little secret....California has not enforced the vacation accrual and retirement payout limit for it’s state employees for many, many years. Don’t tell anyone....

[Always Independent]

The state needs a voter initiative that take the power to negotiate union contracts away from elected gov’t. ANd brown the clown needs to be recalled.

[gunsequalfreedom]

This is not just going on at the state level. Cities are also doing this, feathering the nest eggs of city workers.

At layoff time it is common for a city to give employees extra time towards their retirement even though they have not worked those years. And it aint just Democrats voting for this stuff.

[gunsequalfreedom]

The quicker this whole house o cards collapses the quicker we can get on with rebuilding from what’s left.

You are so correct. So sad that it is going to have to come to this. Make no mistake, though, the people in government doing this to the country will have made enough to survive it.

[gunsequalfreedom]

The state needs a voter initiative that take the power to negotiate union contracts away from elected gov’t.

You already have it. It is called election day. Most people are too lazy though to get off their butts and make effective use of those elections.

Not you specifically, but how many on this forum go to their local city council meetings, study the agenda ahead of time, pull documents from city hall in advance of the meeting to understand the agenda and then bust their butts to organize fellow citizens to go pack the council chambers.

In other words, you can create all the initiatives you want but if it aint the unions it will be some other interest with their hand into the government. It is already a long, long list.

[Vendome]

There is an epidemic of Public employees looting the taxpayer.

Nationwide we are paying fealty and bowing in adoration to our public employees as they demand, each year, a larger share of the taxpayer wallet!

For instance, here in San Jose, CA our public employees have the most generous pay and benefits package, probably compared to anywhere.

At least that is the way it feels after looking at the numbers:

We employ approximately 945 people in the Fire Department

Of those employees there are 675 Firemen, that’s firemen, who earn in excess of $100,000 per year.

The city and that should really read “The Taxpayer” pays for their Medical / Dental to the tune of about $14,287 Dollarino’s!
The taxpayer further kicks in another $30,000 to $60,000 for their retirement package.

So let’s take a fire fighter who earns only $125,000(approx) and add in the Medical/Dental of about $14,287(which comes out of the tax payers wallet) and add in the taxpayer contribution to their retirement of say $37,000.

That fire fighter actually makes:

$125,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$37,000 (retirement)
$176,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $190,287! Per Year!

So let’s take a fire fighter who earns only $150,000(approx) and add in the Medical/Dental of about $14,287(which comes out of the tax payers wallet) and add in the taxpayer contribution to their retirement of say $37,000.

That fire fighter actually makes:
$150,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$40,000 (retirement)
$204,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $249,287! Per Year!

Look at those figures again.

There are approximately 945 employees in the Fire Department and of those 675 have a total compensation of at least $176,287 per year! That’s at least 2/3rds of their department making easily more than 3 times what the average citizen makes here in San Jose.

Firefighters, on average, earn more than twice the median income of a typical San Jose resident ($66,000 approx.)

By the way, those 675 firefighters earn more than our Mayor!

Now let’s look at the San Jose Police Department

We employ approximately 2,010 people in the Police Department

Of those employees there are 1,215 Policemen, that’s Policemen, who earn in excess of $100,000 per year.

The city and that should really read “The Taxpayer” pays for their Medical / Dental to the tune of about $14,287 Dollarino’s!
The taxpayer further kicks in another $30,000 to $40,000 for their retirement package.

So let’s take a Police Officer who earns only $125,000(approx) and add in the Medical/Dental of about $14,287(which comes out of the tax payers wallet) and add in the taxpayer contribution to their retirement of say $37,000.

That Police Officer actually makes:
$125,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$37,000 (retirement)
$176,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $190,287! Per Year!

So let’s take a Police Officer who earns only $150,000(approx) and add in the Medical/Dental of about $14,287(which comes out of the tax payers wallet) and add in the taxpayer contribution to their retirement of say $37,000.

That Police Officer actually makes:
$150,000 (Salary approx)
$14,287 (Medical/Dental)
$40,000 (retirement)
$204,287 per year! Total compensation

Oh! And he gets something called “Other Cash Compensation” of around $14,000 bringing his real wage to $249,287! Per Year!

Look at those figures again.

There are approximately 2,010 employees in the Police Department and of those 1,215 have a total compensation of at least $176,287 per year! That’s at least 2/3rds of their department making easily more than 3 times what the average citizen makes here in San Jose.(That number holds true if you factor in 225 jobs are most likely part time and earn less than $10,000 per year such as “Cross Guards, radio dispatch, etc. even they get some sort of “Other Cash Compensation”.

Police Officers, on average, earn more than twice the median income of a typical San Jose resident($66,000 approx.)

Oh! And did I mention that 1,215 Police Officers earn more than our Mayor!


So for Public Safety we have some 1,890 employees earning at least 3 times more than the average citizen of San Jose and even more than our terrific Mayor, Chuck Reed!




Heck, we even have Librarians earning more than $100k per year with one who makes a fabulous $223K!

And check this out. We kick in the following for her grand salary:

Sick and Vacation Payouts *** Other Cash Compensation Deferred Compensation City Paid City Paid Medical / Dental City Paid Retirement Contribution
$12,420 $4,200 $0 $6,246 $52,681 $75,547


That means she actually made some $298,000(approx) Last Year!

A Fr ic kin Librarian? Really?

If I look at jobs such as Air Conditioning Mechanic or Network Engineer their wages are typical of a private sector job except for their benefits package, which they would never earn in a private job.

And dang if a Street Sweeper doesn’t earn some $85,000 in total compensation.

How in the heck is this fair?

Don’t forget, if you retire from the Police/Fire Department you are paid 90% of your 3 highest earning years.

All you do is put in a tremendous amount of overtime your last three years, bringing your total earnings to about $200,000 and you can retire with $180,000 per year for the rest of your life! Oh and you get to keep your Gold Plated Mecical/Dental plan Grati and you can buy good and services all around the country for less than your private sector neighbors can.

Ain’t it great!

Makes me think I should have gone on to become a LEO and I could retire in just a couple of years, print some business cards and hand them out at parties when people ask me what I do for a living.

Who in the private sector can retire at 50 years old with a $180k a year guaranteed check and then pretend to be in business or have that for a safety net if you actually do something?

 

Think about this:

If an Officer or Fireman retires at the age of 50 he can be expected to live til at least 70 if not 80 years old and beyond.  At that rate for 20 years of retirement the taxpayer will hand the retiree some $2,000,000 for 20 years of retirement and over $3.5 million for 30 years of retirement!

 

Doesn't that strike anyone as just plain unfair and outrageous!?

 

And get this, due to collective bargaining all other departments have similar retirement packages.

 

Now multiply those numbers time the current amount of retirees and then start adding more retirees every year and the numbers are astounding!

 

We simply cannot continue to pay government workers, at all levels, these lucrative retirement packages and nearly free Medical services.

And don’t any of you get cute about the whole thing. I personally know off the top of my head 10 former LEO who have some weird business, supposedly and they are only a few years older than me.

Wanna confirm my numbers above? Well then click thee to this website, the City of San Jose 2010 Employees Salaries:
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/salary/Default.aspx

 

At some point it comes down to this:

 

How much more will the taxpayer continue to put up with the evergrowing pressure on their finances to support an over compensated public employee and still be expected to finance their lavish retirement packages?

[skimask]

Most likely I will be out of here by this time next year. This state is in free fall. Los Angeles County alone spends 3.2 billion dollars a year in medical costs for ILLEGAL immigrants. 30 years ago this state was one of the most desired to live in. What has happened here is a text book example of how liberal policy destroy economies, stiffle job growth, cause business to re locate to a more tax friendly state, and induce the masses to seek more free government welfare without thinking, for even one minute, about how they intend to pay for it.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

It’s impossible to overstate California’s fiscal problems.

[zeugma]

Does anyone but government leeches get these unlimited vacation banks? Every company I’ve worked for has had a ‘use it or lose it’ policy. Personally, I’d rather be paid any unused vacation in cash.