A turkey of an executive order
The sense of entitlement of state government employees knows no bounds. It’s truly mind-boggling. Last week, they bombarded Gov. Corzine’s Office with thousands of phone calls, demanding he change his mind about not giving them the day after Thanksgiving off – with pay – as well.
State workers in New Jersey get 13 paid holidays a year, including three in November – Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. They have gotten a 14th - the day after Thanksgiving – by virtue of a decades-old tradition in which governors have authorized it through executive order.
Last year, Corzine signed the order authorizing the holiday. But he warned it might be the last time he did so, saying days off should be negotiated or authorized by statute. During this year’s contracts talks with the unions, no changes relating to paid holidays were negotiated, even though a legislative property tax committee reviewing public employee benefits recommended reducing the number of holidays for state workers.
If Corzine had had any guts, he would have taken away at least two or three holidays. And he would have made it clear that if the unions felt so strongly about getting Black Friday off, they would have to trade it in for one of their other holidays.
Federal workers get 10 paid holidays a year. State employees in Ohio, North Carolina and Oregon get nine. The median for state workers is about 10 or 10 1/2. In the private sector, the average employee in a large company gets eight paid holidays; in small companies, the average is less than six.
Eighteen states designate the day after Thanksgiving as an official holiday. But none of them offers as many total holidays as New Jersey. The state should pass a law establishing the maximum number of paid holidays state workers — and all other non-federal government employees — can take. The Legislature had a chance last year. As with most cost-cutting opportunities, it refused to act. And don't hold your breath waiting for anything to change any time soon.
State workers in New Jersey get 13 paid holidays a year, including three in November – Election Day, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. They have gotten a 14th - the day after Thanksgiving – by virtue of a decades-old tradition in which governors have authorized it through executive order.
Last year, Corzine signed the order authorizing the holiday. But he warned it might be the last time he did so, saying days off should be negotiated or authorized by statute. During this year’s contracts talks with the unions, no changes relating to paid holidays were negotiated, even though a legislative property tax committee reviewing public employee benefits recommended reducing the number of holidays for state workers.
If Corzine had had any guts, he would have taken away at least two or three holidays. And he would have made it clear that if the unions felt so strongly about getting Black Friday off, they would have to trade it in for one of their other holidays.
Federal workers get 10 paid holidays a year. State employees in Ohio, North Carolina and Oregon get nine. The median for state workers is about 10 or 10 1/2. In the private sector, the average employee in a large company gets eight paid holidays; in small companies, the average is less than six.
Eighteen states designate the day after Thanksgiving as an official holiday. But none of them offers as many total holidays as New Jersey. The state should pass a law establishing the maximum number of paid holidays state workers — and all other non-federal government employees — can take. The Legislature had a chance last year. As with most cost-cutting opportunities, it refused to act. And don't hold your breath waiting for anything to change any time soon.
posted by Randy Bergmann at 1:38 PM
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