Senate Republicans Call for End to State Longevity Pay

Hartford, CT – Senate Republican Leader John McKinney (R-Fairfield) and House Republican Leader Lawrence F. Cafero (R-Norwalk) delivered a letter to Governor Malloy’s office today requesting his public endorsement of a Republican amendment that will be offered in the Appropriations Committee today to end the practice of longevity pay for Connecticut state employees.

State employees earned a total of $20,252,779 in longevity payments on April 22 simply for staying on the job for ten years or more. Thirty-six hundred non-union employees received more than $7 million and 28,639 unionized workers received more than $13 million. The payments are made twice each year (April and October) in addition to cost of living increases and merit raises that state employees also qualify for.

The Republican Leaders said they were disappointed to learn that the Democratic budget proposal does not address longevity pay, considering that Governor Malloy and Democratic legislative leaders have both expressed their support for ending the practice this year. They hope that with the Governor’s endorsement, their proposal will be received as a friendly amendment when the Appropriations Committee votes on the Democratic budget proposal today.