PC Pay Raise After Promising Pay Freeze
Here's just one reason the PCs are in the financial state they're in--well, no, let's be fully honest here and say that this is one reason the PCs have gotten Alberta in the financial state its in:
After they had promised to freeze salaries, they went and raised salaries for senior government officials, who, let's face it, are already making more than the average Albertan. Deput minister salaries went up by about $20 000. Yes, you read that correctly. Given they already make over $200 000, maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to them, but to the average Albertan, $20 000 is not only huge but could really change things around for people.
But this pay freeze seems to have only been targeted at MLAs. Senior government managers were given a lump sum payment, followed by a 2.25% raise for 2014 and a 2.5% increase for this year.
Because they're not already making enough? Gary Mar's combined salary and non-cash benefits totalled over half a million dollars.
Their justification for it? From The Sun:
Seriously? Are you kidding me? The government talks about making cuts to salaries, but because it's been standard practice to grant senior government officials a raise based on the AUPE's raises, more money is being spent for people who don't actually need it? "Unfair to not extend that same agreement to those who aren't covered by the collective bargaining agreement"? The whole point of the collective bargaining agreement is to come to a deal that covers those who fall UNDER the collective bargaining agreement. That argument is so ridiculous, I can't even say anything about it.
Then the excuses given, "The promise that was made first was based on the expectation..." I'm a parent. I know about not being able to fulfill promises. Maybe you were going to go do such-and-such on a given day, but you got too sick to go. Or the car has a flat tire and there won't be enough time to go. Or it was something outside and it's now hailing outside. Or something reasonable. Unavoidable. That is not the case here. They actively choose to give a pay raise. And are trying to defend it.
The amount of money itself isn't going to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of Alberta's financial difficulties, but it's the principle of it. But the PCs have shown themselves to not be particularly principled, haven't they?
After they had promised to freeze salaries, they went and raised salaries for senior government officials, who, let's face it, are already making more than the average Albertan. Deput minister salaries went up by about $20 000. Yes, you read that correctly. Given they already make over $200 000, maybe it doesn't seem like a big deal to them, but to the average Albertan, $20 000 is not only huge but could really change things around for people.
But this pay freeze seems to have only been targeted at MLAs. Senior government managers were given a lump sum payment, followed by a 2.25% raise for 2014 and a 2.5% increase for this year.
Because they're not already making enough? Gary Mar's combined salary and non-cash benefits totalled over half a million dollars.
Their justification for it? From The Sun:
Alberta Treasury Board and Finance said the raise is identical to increases in the agreement secured by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) as it is "common practice" that whatever deal is struck with unionized employees will also be applied to all government staff, including management.
"After a long, hard-fought negotiation, we landed on a deal that served AUPE members and government employees well. It would be unfair to not extend that same agreement to those who aren't covered by the collective bargaining agreement," said Jessica Jacobs-Mino, press secretary to Horner.
Jacobs-Mino said the raise is only the second increase for deputy ministers and senior officials since 2009 and is "absolutely not" a broken promise to Albertans.
"The promise that was made first was based on the expectation that we were going to see zero or very small increases for AUPE members and the government standpoint on that was very clear," she said.
Seriously? Are you kidding me? The government talks about making cuts to salaries, but because it's been standard practice to grant senior government officials a raise based on the AUPE's raises, more money is being spent for people who don't actually need it? "Unfair to not extend that same agreement to those who aren't covered by the collective bargaining agreement"? The whole point of the collective bargaining agreement is to come to a deal that covers those who fall UNDER the collective bargaining agreement. That argument is so ridiculous, I can't even say anything about it.
Then the excuses given, "The promise that was made first was based on the expectation..." I'm a parent. I know about not being able to fulfill promises. Maybe you were going to go do such-and-such on a given day, but you got too sick to go. Or the car has a flat tire and there won't be enough time to go. Or it was something outside and it's now hailing outside. Or something reasonable. Unavoidable. That is not the case here. They actively choose to give a pay raise. And are trying to defend it.
The amount of money itself isn't going to make a huge difference in the grand scheme of Alberta's financial difficulties, but it's the principle of it. But the PCs have shown themselves to not be particularly principled, haven't they?
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