Ask Legislators about Salary Reserve: If Not Now, Then When?

September 19, 2011

Direct Support Workforce Goes Four Years Without Funding for Salary Adjustment

Governor provides 3% increase for state managers

Governor’s Supplemental Silent on Adjustment for workers supporting state programs under contract

Only Legislators Can Fix the Inequity

Rep. David Linsky and Senator Karen Spilka have stepped forward to ask their colleagues to sign a letter to the Legislative Leadership to endorse a $28 million Salary Reserve in the FY 11 Supplemental Budget being discussed this week in the House and Senate.

For the last four years, direct support professionals have continued to do their jobs assisting people with disabilities, elders and children to be a part of the community.

During the fiscal problems of the last four years, the Governor and members of the Legislature have looked to our workforce to understand the state’s fiscal woes and have promised time and after time, when state revenues improve, so will opportunities for improving the salaries of direct support professionals.

According to State House News, August 2, 2011, “The Department of Revenue announced Tuesday that officials collected $1.442 billion in taxes in July, a 6.6 increase from a year earlier and $60 million better than lawmakers and the Patrick administration predicted”.

Reflecting the Commonwealth’s improved fiscal condition, on June 9, 2011, Governor Deval Patrick authorized 3% pay increases for over 4000 state government managers.

Direct Support Professionals, both non union and union employees who work for the community provider system under contract with the State were excluded from any such raises and have not received any salary increase in four years.

These employees are told in bad fiscal times, to be patient, and then in good fiscal times be equally patient.  The state is in recovery and Direct Support Professional respectfully ask the Governor and the Legislature, is this not the right time to grant a modest salary adjustment.  If not now, then when?

A number of legislators are stepping forward to demand fairness for the human service workforce.

Led by Rep. David Linsky and Senator Karen Spilka, legislators are being asked to sign a group letter from the legislator to Speaker Robert DeLeo an Senate President Therese Murray urging the adoption of a salary adjustment for the human service workforce.

Call or write to your legislator today and urge them to join this effort and to sign the Linsky/Spilka letter to leadership.  Click here to send an instant email to your legislator.

Click here to get the phone number of your legislator.