The state workers who keep Kansas running should be treated with dignity and respect. That’s why the legislature’s decision to approve just a 1% across-the-board pay raise for state workers is so out of touch.
The Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE) said in a March 25 statement that the raise doesn’t even keep up with the 2.4% inflation rate or the rising costs of housing, food, child care and health care. KOSE members are the workers who clear snow, respond to emergencies, protect children, support veterans and provide the public services Kansas families depend on every day.
The same lawmakers who say Kansas cannot afford fair wages somehow managed to prioritize themselves. Members of KOSE, who are affiliated with AFT and AFSCME, pointed out that legislators gave themselves a nearly 93% pay increase two years ago and budgeted another 4% raise for the upcoming fiscal year.
“This is about priorities,” said KOSE President Sarah LaFrenz. “The people making decisions about our pay are taking care of themselves first while asking state workers to fall further behind. That is not equitable, and it is not right. ... State workers deserve to be more than an afterthought.”
Gov. Laura Kelly also said lawmakers gave their own staff a 10% raise while leaving state workers with what she called “table scraps.” She urged the legislature to fund the 2.5% pay increase she proposed at the start of the session. That says everything about who is valued and who is left behind.
Hardworking people are the backbone of Kansas. They deserve the freedom to unite, advocate for each other, and seek fair compensation. State workers in Kansas are right to ask for wages that reflect real-life costs, and working people should come together to demand a budget that values those who serve Kansas every day.