NDPEA in North Dakota

President’s Corner



Senate Bill 2311, the state employee compensation bill, was heard in the House Government and Veterans Affairs Committee on Thursday February 26. The bill provides for a 5% appropriation for each year of the biennium with each employee receiving a minimum of $100 per month. My testimony at the hearing focused on the need for the salary package to ensure that the state would be able to continue to recruit and retain quality employees. With the growing economy in ND the demand for workers the state has seen the midpoints of it pay ranges fall to 85% t 91% of market resulting in the state struggling to recruit and retain its employees. The cities and counties which the state must complete with for employees in similar job titles have set their salaries at 100% of market. In a pay study completed by Burleigh County the following salary differences were noted in comparing similar jobs.



Burleigh County

Highway Maintenance Worker $37,715

Highway Sign Technician $36,915

Detention Officer $32,948



North Dakota State

Transportation Technician II $29,553 - 26.7% Difference

Highway Traffic Control Specialist $32,662 - 13% Difference

Correction Officer I $24,326 - 35.4% Difference



In comparing similar job titles to the private sector using North Dakota Job Service data you can see that the state employee salaries are also lagging the private sector. The following job titles show the rates at which state employee salaries lag the private sector in ND.



Account Budget Specialist II 13.5%

Administrative Assistant II 17.9%

Programmer 32.6%



These same job titles lag the Central States Compensation Associations pay study by 7.1% to 16.4%. The comparison show that not only do state employee salaries lag the market in the public sector in other states but state employee salaries also lag the market here in North Dakota.



I’ve heard some people ask, “Why should state employees get 5% raise when other employees around the state will not be seeing the same kind of increase?” The studies and comparisons show that the state needs to pass the 5% appropriation, the $23 million dollar equity pool that is distributed throughout the agency budgets, and continue to fund the family health insurance premium if the state is going to be competitive with other employers in North Dakota and throughout the region for quality employees. In prior years state employees received increases that were less than the private sector and state employees were told, “When times are good we will take care of you”. The good times have come to North Dakota and the state now has the resources to make its greatest asset, its employees a priority. Please contact the members of the House Government and Veteran Affairs Committee via email or phone and ask them support SB 2311. Our voice must be heard now!



Gary Feist

NDPEA President



House – Government and Veterans Affairs Committee Members

Rep. Bette Grande (R) bgrande@nd.gov – Dist. 41 – Fargo - Chairman

Rep. Randy Boehning (R) rboehning@nd.gov – Dist. 27 – Fargo – Vice Chairman

Rep. Bill Ammerman (D) bammerman@nd.gov – Dist. 26 – Forman

Rep. Tom Conklin (D) tconklin@nd.gov – Dist. 4 – Douglas

Rep. Stacey Dahl (R) stdahl@nd.gov – Dist. 42 – Grand Forks

Rep. Glen Froseth (R) gfroseth@nd.gov – Dist. 6 – Kenmare

Rep. Karen Karls (R) kkarls@nd.gov – Dist. 35 – Bismarck

Rep. Jim Kasper (R) jkasper@nd.gov – Dist. 46 – Fargo

Rep. Michael Nathe (R) mrnathe@nd.gov – Dist. 30 – Bismarck

Rep. Lisa Meier (R) lmeier@nd.gov – Dist. 32 – Bismarck

Rep. Jasper Schneider (D) jaschneider@nd.gov – Dist. 21 – Fargo

Rep. Lonny Winrich (D) lbwinrich@nd.gov – Dist. 18 – Grand Forks

Rep. Lisa Wolf (D) lawolf@nd.gov – Dist. 3 – Minot





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From the Desk of the Executive Director



Something is rotten in the State Capitol in Bismarck.



In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the title character famously proclaimed that, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” The first line of this message similarly refers to an amendment to House Bill 1015 offered by Representative Al Carlson, R-Fargo.



House Bill 1015 was meant to serve as the bill providing an appropriation for all state employee salaries. The original draft of the bill included funding for a “5% and 5%” salary increase for all state employees including a $100/minimum increase. It also was supposed to include dollars to achieve increased salary equity so that the salary ranges of state employees would be more competitive with the market.



However, after Representative Carlson’s “eleventh hour” amendment was engrossed into the bill, HB 1015 took on a much more rotten form. If the bill were to pass the Senate in the same form that it passed the House, most of the money in the bill would be sent to a “critical salary funding pool.”



This would add an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy to an already over-complicated system. Pam Sharp, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, was quoted in the Bismarck Tribune as saying, “The way they have it set up is so cumbersome.” Sharp also told the Tribune that she felt the funding pool was unnecessary.



Carlson claims that the purpose of the amendment was to address the present number of “Phantom FTE’s (full-time equivalent)” employed by the state of North Dakota. He is concerned that the state’s continued funding of un-filled positions is a waste of money. However, the dire consequence of his amendment was an under-funding of the proposed “5% and 5%” salary increase. In fact, agency salary reductions amounts ranged from 2% to 4%. As Representative Lee Kaldor, D-Mayville, told me, “The result of the amendment is that some agencies will only be able to afford 2% salary increases, or worse.”



Carlson’s amendment is atrocious. Whether it was meant to under-fund the “5% and 5%” or whether it was meant solely to eliminate the “Phantom FTE’s” is certainly debatable. However, the fact is that had Carlson introduced his amendment earlier in the session, its drawbacks could have been addressed so that the bill could have been passed without being so horribly flawed.



I am confident that the Senate will have the good sense to undo the damage done by Carlson’s amendment. They did vote unanimously to support the 5% and 5% for state and higher education employees already this session. However, it would probably be a good idea for you to e-mail your State Senator to ask for their continued support. If, by chance, you are from Fargo, you may wish to correspond with Al Carlson. Tell him you do not support his repeated lack of support for public employees in North Dakota.



In conclusion, I must remind you to, “Speak the speech.” Spread the word to your non-member co-workers. Explain to them the battle that is being waged in the halls of the Capitol Building and explain to them that an increase in membership is integral to our continued success.



In service,

Stuart Savelkoul

Executive Director





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Employee Free Choice Act

Many of you may have seen or heard commercials about the Employee Free Choice Act over the past couple of weeks. I would encourage you to come to a discussion to learn the facts and the truth about the Employee Free Choice Act this Thursday February 5th at 5:30 PM at the North Dakota AFL-CIO office in Bismarck. The office is located at 1323 E. Front Ave.



Upcoming NDPEA Events



March 6th – Fargo

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

NDPEA Luncheon in the Basement Conference Room of the Cass County Annex

Lunch includes pizza, pasta, and refreshments

Remarks delivered by Executive Director, Stuart Savelkoul



March 12th – Bismarck

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

NDPEA Legislative Update at the Bismarck Public Library

Refreshments will be served

Remarks delivered by President Gary Feist



March 12th – Jamestown

5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

NDPEA Legislative Update at the Continental Bistro

Dinner includes pizza, salad, and refreshments

Remarks delivered by Executive Director, Stuart Savelkoul





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