Parson signs state worker pay raise bill at Truman office building
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Hundreds of workers gathered in the Harry S. Truman Building atrium Monday to witness the governor sign their pay raise into existence.
Gov. Mike Parson signed the emergency spending budget Monday afternoon giving state workers an 8.7% pay raise. Parson noted the large turnout, some people even bringing signs thanking him.
Parson said the raise is meant to make up for the increase in the cost of living. The January inflation report shows the Consumer Price Index rose 6.4% in the past year.
"State employees get 1%, 2%, cost of living goes up a lot more than that," Parson said. "But since I've been governor, one of the things I've been very proud of is that since I've been governor your wages have increased -- including this pay raise -- by 20%."
According to the U.S. Census, Missouri's per capita income is $33,000 a year. With an 8.7% pay raise, that someone making that amount would make about $36,000 a year, or an extra $240 a month.
This budget also includes a $2-an-hour differential pay for overnight workers. That's extra hourly pay for those who work middle-of-the-night shifts at 24-hour facilities.
"I was awful, awful proud to be able to help those night-shift workers, those evening shifts and midnight shift workers all across the state doing some of those jobs that not all of us want to work those kinds of hours to be able to give them two dollars more for working those shifts," Parson said.
However, some lawmakers say this is still not enough for state workers in prisons, hospitals and working on roads.
"We're at the bottom of the barrel on what we pay our state employees, but this is progress. Is it enough? Probably not. But it's definitely something that will help and help us continue to move forward," said Sen. John Rizzo (D-Kansas City).
According to OpenPayrolls, Missouri had one of the lowest state employee pay in 2021. State officials say the pay has contributed to a high level of state worker turnover.
