Tag: Salaries

Higher Ed Institutions Could Have More Flexibility Under this Bill

A bill aimed at giving the state’s two largest universities more control over their own affairs advanced in the House of Delegates Monday.

House Bill 2542 is a large bill, 33 pages in fact, with several provisions. But its main intent is to give the state’s higher education institutions more flexibility in hiring and salary rates.

The bill would allow West Virginia and Marshall Universities to decide their own salary schedules, or pay scales, by consulting with their Boards of Governors and with their employees – rather than it being decided for them from Charleston through the Higher Education Policy Commission. For all other colleges and universities in the state, changes would have to be approved by the HEPC.

Sponsors of the bill say the state’s higher education system has faced major budget cuts in recent years and the changes allow them to be more flexible with the money they have. Republican Del. Joe Statler is the lead sponsor of the bill.

“As we continue to cut their budgets, and this is what it’s all about ladies and gentleman, it’s about the money it takes to run these institutions, if we don’t want to fully fund these institutions, then we’ve gotta give ‘em some flexibility,” Statler said.

Democrats tried to amend the bill to require universities to give laid-off workers first preference if their cut positions are restored or give them the option of taking other open positions if their positions are cut.

Those amendments failed after some debate. House Bill 2542 is up for a final vote in the House Tuesday.

Auditor Says OASIS Salary Calculation is Illegal

After a legislative audit showed a new pay system would cost the state tens of millions of dollars in unintentional pay raises, West Virginia lawmakers are assessing what — if anything — they can do to stop it. 

Last month, Legislative Auditor Aaron Allred told members of the Post Audits Subcommittee the transition from semi-monthly to bi-weekly pay under the new West Virginia OASIS system will result in more than $50 million in additional pay for salaried employees over the next ten years.

The unintentional increase is the result of a computing error, dividing salaries by the new 26 pay period rather than the previous 24. Legislative Auditor Allred is now telling lawmakers he believes the conversion rate is illegal.

Allred recommends the state push back that date until lawmakers can reassess the code section dictating salaries during the next legislative session.

“If the state auditor wants to simply divide salaries by 26, which we believe is illegal, than he can come to the Legislature and ask for the Legislature’s approval to convert salaries the way that he’s planning on converting them,” he told the committee Sunday.

That second wave is the next group of state employees who will switch to the new biweekly pay system.

The first wave — which included agencies like the Department of Administration, the Auditor’s and Treasurer’s Offices and the Division of Highways — made the change earlier this year. Wave two, which will include the remainder of state employees, is scheduled for November 14.

Allred said he doesn’t know how much a delay will cost, but representatives of the executive branch have said the implementation will continue as scheduled. Lawmakers will likely not be able to intervene in the process until January’s session.

Study: W.Va. Correctional Officer Pay Low, Turnover High

  A new report says correctional officers employed by the Division of Corrections have the lowest entry-level salaries in the nation.

The report released Monday by the Legislative Auditor’s Office says the entry-level salary for correctional officers is $22,141 annually. Illinois has the highest entry-level salary, $45,103.

Correctional officers earn about $16,400 less than their counterparts at the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The report also says the turnover rate among correctional officers was 37 percent in fiscal 2014. But low pay likely wasn’t the only factor.

The report says other possible turnover factors include a stressful working environment and long shifts.

According to the report, correctional officers earning the entry-level salary would qualify for government assistance if they live in a single-income household with three or more people.

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