2023-10-12 Salary Commission Minutes

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Salary Commission October 12, 2023 MR. NELSON: So, just to the group, I do think—I got a couple of small changes to this. But I do have one big one. I guess that I would like to bring to the table—and I think that relates to the 5% increase after the initial increase. Okay. I would, kind of, like, to revisit that and see if we—if the group would like to look again and bringing that down to 3% or similar to what the union the bargaining unit employees are going to get. `Cause I think what Cody sent out to us was, kind of, just a warning—kind of the next meetings are going to be the public will come in, they're going to look at this. It's going to get noticed. People are going to come in and say, "Oh, okay, why are you doing—what is your rationale for making these increases?" Okay? So, I think for the 22% increase, we've got a cost of living adjustment—there's a rationale for that. We've, kind of, talked through that. The 5% is, sort of, a arbitrary number, I think. That's my opinion on it. And I do think giving something more than what all the other staff is to the management employees—it's going to send a message. I mean, it's going to be, "Why are we giving the management employees more than the regular employees?" Right? I mean, I think it's going to—I don't think it's going to send a right message. So, I would recommend that we look at scaling back the next years' increase to 3%. MS. NAMAHOE: Commissioner NamahoeI'd like to respond. Two things. I would like us to—my suggestion is uniform language for the January increase—we do not use the words "increase" we use "inflationary adjustment" as that is the essence of what it is. When it comes to the July pay increase, we call that a "pay increase" but that—so that in our mind the inflationary adjustment speaks to the January 2023 numbers that we worked out as a 22.44%. For July, we look at that that—and we call that the "pay increase." I also believe that, to your point about the ability to scale that back—my suggestion on your suggestionI'd like to amend your suggestion that we keep that in the back of our mind after the November 16th public hearings because we will be meeting again to temper our adjustments and increases accordingly. So, in standard negotiation practices, you come with A, they come with C, we find B. MR. NELSON: Okay. But I don't think we're negotiating with the public is the thing. It's not—it's more of input, getting their suggestion. I mean, I think they're looking at us—we say in a message that we've done the analysis, this is our best assessment, or what do you think it ought to be. Okay. So, I don't think we should be making a little cushion to say, "Oh, okay, we're going to give up a little bit after that." I don't see our role as negotiators. I see our role as setting the rates, being Page 5