It is with mixed emotions that we greet the action by the Governor and Executive Council to add a 15 percent wage enhancement to nurses at the Department of Corrections.
The wage enhancement was requested by the department and supported by SEA/SEIU Local 1984 because retention and recruitment has been extremely challenging for corrections nursing staff.
We recognize and appreciate the great work put in by our members at the state prisons under less than ideal circumstances. We also understand how challenging it has been for the department to not only recruit and retain qualified nursing staff, but also maintain a positive work environment. Without this increase, the department would have been left with nothing close to the support they need.
But, it’s not enough.
The state needs to acknowledge this is a systemic problem.
From liquor stores to the Department of Transportation right back to corrections officers, New Hampshire state agencies are unable fill vacant positions because of low pay.
Many state agencies are using signs on the roadside, pleading with people to come in and apply for a job. But tell me, what truck driver will agree to plow roads for the DOT at $12 per hour when he can deliver oil for the local oil company at $25 per hour? Dream on.
Our classification system is antiquated – it has been largely unchanged since 2001 and no longer helps serve the needs of our citizens.
The state must recognize we are rapidly approaching a tipping point. Fifteen percent of currently funded positions are vacant. Among the filled positions, the turnover rate in some occupations is as much as 50 percent.
We can do better. The state must take action to modernize the classification system and provide wage enhancements to all state employees.
If we want to maintain a committed and loyal workforce providing continued excellence to the citizens of New Hampshire, we need to offer them reasons to remain committed and loyal.
That begins with providing a pay system that reflects the value returned to the state by its workers.
Raise the wage.
(Rich Gulla is president of SEA/SEIU Local 1984.)