Steve Bloom/The Olympian
Like many state employees, Jon Anderson, a biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, is counting on no pay raise this year because of the state budget deficit.

Bracing for lean times

State workers hunker down for year without raises

PATRICK CONDON, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Monday, March 25, 2002

OLYMPIA -- Joel Wippich, a library worker at The Evergreen State College, might start updating his resume.

Jon Anderson, a biologist at the Department of Fish and Wildlife, has a co-worker who just canceled plans to remodel his house.

Across South Sound, state workers are preparing for a summer without a pay increase.

"It's hurting everybody," Anderson said.

State workers got a 3.6 percent increase in July 2001, but this year's raises became casualties of the state's $1.6 billion budget shortfall.

Various proposals had the Legislature increasing across-the-board state worker pay from 1.5 percent to 2 percent this year.

But, in the final days of the session, Senate Democratic leadership zeroed out the increases entirely, firm in a resolve that the state simply couldn't afford it.

As part of a last-minute deal, the Legislature did inject $6 million into an effort to hold down state employee health care costs.

But even that money is at risk as Gov. Gary Locke looks for ways to trim $40 million out of the budget because the Legislature failed to approve a liquor tax increase.

On the limb

"It just seems like they're free to do whatever they want," Wippich said. "I'm just sitting here sort of deciding if it's time to pursue something else."

Wippich says he is disappointed at the lack of a pay raise, but he is even more disheartened by rising health costs.

Wippich takes medication for arthritis and in the past two years has watched as legislators have proposed changes that would sharply increase his share of the prescription cost.

"It's a resignation, almost a helplessness," Wippich said. "They're making these decisions about me, and I have no input whatsoever."

Many state workers took solace when the Legislature approved collective bargaining, which means that, starting in 2004, employee unions will be able to directly bargain with the state for state worker compensation packages.

But that's not going to help anyone this year, in the midst of the state's worst economic slump in 20 years.

As one state employee, Diana Parkison, said during the budget debate, "Puget Sound Energy won't not increase my power rates just because I'm a state employee."

"Of course, part of it is self-interest," Anderson said. "But the community should be concerned, too. We live in this community, and if we have less money in our pockets, that's less we can put back into the community.

"Will I be able to give money to that Campfire Girl who comes to my door selling cookies?" Anderson said.

"I don't know. Some people won't."

Less spending ahead

Michael Weinand, a Lacey-based financial planner, said that for most state workers, luxury purchases will be the first things to go.

"I think we'll see the nicer restaurants suffer; I think real estate prices will probably go down," Weinand said.

Weinand said that whenever a year passes without a salary increase for state workers, that lack of progress passes on to future years, too.

"Even if there is some increase next year, it's a percentage of a smaller amount of money because there was no increase this year," Weinand said.

This isn't the first year state workers have gone without an increase -- as recently as 1998, there was no across-the-board increase, and there have been similar circumstances numerous times in the past 20 years.

This year may carry a bit more of a sting, as public school teachers are now guaranteed yearly increases tied to a Seattle-area inflation indicator. This year, teachers will get a 3.6 percent raise.

Many state workers insist they could get jobs in the private sector but that, for differing reasons, they don't.

Wippich said he likes working with students.

Alexander Mar, a computer systems specialist at Evergreen, said he wants to stay close to his family in Tumwater.

Anderson said some employees have it better than others do.

He's not as worried as others might be, because his wife has a good-paying job.

But he said he will keep an eye on the checkbook balance.

"I'm glad I remodeled my house last year," he said.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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