From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary Email…

Jerry Brown’s Reckless Labor Deal

Before leaving office last year, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California negotiated new contracts and pension reforms with six state unions. The prison guards were the only major union to hold out, figuring that they could get a better deal once Democrat Jerry Brown assumed the governorship. They were right.

The new contract that Mr. Brown and the guards have negotiated uncaps the number of vacation days that officers can cash in upon retirement, which is 80 for most state unions. Since officers get eight weeks of time off each year, many prison guards have racked up hundreds of unused vacation days. Officers receive so many days off, the Brown administration says, that they “can’t avoid exceeding the vacation cap.” That, in short, is Mr. Brown’s justification for uncapping vacation pay-outs. Perhaps it hasn’t occurred to Mr. Brown that taxpayers might be better off if officers received fewer vacation days.

The union claims that uncapping vacation payout isn’t much of a giveaway since the caps haven’t been strictly enforced. State records show that 80 officers have collected six-digit retirement pay-outs. One parole agent received $268,990 for unused time off, nearly three times his salary. Vacation pay-outs for corrections officers cost the state $111 million last year. That figure would almost certainly soar if pay-outs are uncapped.

Officers would also be entitled to a $130 monthly bonus ($1,560 each year) for getting an annual physical. Under previous contracts, to receive that bonus officers had to pass a physical fitness exam that included running, jumping, flexibility and sit-up components. However, the state did away with those tests purportedly because too many officers injured themselves while preparing or taking the tests.

Department of Personnel Administration Director Ron Yank says they did their “job looking out for the interest of citizens, the taxpayers of this state.” To be sure, the contract requires officers to chip in an additional three percent of their salaries to their pensions. However, these savings will likely be offset by the costs of uncapping vacation pay-outs, raises and various other giveaways.

One of the most powerful political groups in the state, the prison guards spent nearly $2 million on Mr. Brown’s election. Mr. Brown’s budget slashes nearly every area but prisons. In fact, his budget increases prison appropriations by $300 million in order to “fully fund the salary and wages of authorized Correctional Officers.” Wages and benefits for the state’s 28,000 corrections officers cost about $3.5 billion. That’s nearly $125,000 per employee.

Mr. Brown wants taxpayers and legislators to approve $12 billion in taxes to help close the state’s $25 billion deficit. Cynical deals like this are one reason the public ought to be skeptical.

— Allysia Finley

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 28th, 2011 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Blog Posts.