October 27, 2009
A 'minimum wage' state workforce?State worker Jim Hooben sent this e-mail in response to our reports about federal authorities' concern that furloughs have eroded California's Unemployment Insurance programs to an unacceptable degree.
Here's Hooben's e-mail, unedited and posted with his permission. He's speaking for himself, not his employer.
I work for EDD / Unemployment Insurance. I am mandated, not "authorized", to work 3 days per month that I am not paid for. I am compensated with Paid Time Off, on the assumption that I can get the time off. My ATM does not accept PTO, nor does my landlord, grocery store or gas station. I did not sign on to earn "time off", I signed on to earn money.
Under the current Administration, we are gravitating towards a "minimum wage" civil service corps. This, of course, will attract minimum wage management (we actually have that now), a minimum wage workforce and minimum wage productivity.
Have you ever been in a fast food restaurant during lunch time chaos with a twenty year old manager overseeing a minimum wage crew ? This is where we are heading.
Way to go Arnie! Go back to making "B" movies - that is the limit of your skills in management.
Jim Hooben
Chief Steward, DLC 793
SEIU Local 1000
http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/the_state_worker/2009/10/a-minimum-wage-state-workforce.html