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CALL TO ACTION: Advocate for 3.2% COLA for Expenses Including Other than Salaries
The current language in the Assembly and Senate One House Budgets only provides a 3.2% COLA for salaries for Direct Service Staff, Non-Executive Clinical Staff, and Direct Care Staff and there is no increase for the cost of health benefits, rents, salaries for supervisors, administrative assistants/secretaries, account clerks, and other staff not specifically named. The Governor's proposed budget language allowed for a 1.5% increase on total state aid. Limiting the use of the COLA is also a huge issue for the large OASAS, OMH, and OPWDD, (and possibly other state) funded agencies that use the COLA to help fund employee health insurance premiums, other insurance, rent, IT expenses, etc. For more information, contact Ellen Morehouse, Executive Director, Student Assistance Services Corporation. Please call and email your state legislators and chiefs of staff in the next few days to let them know that the 3.2% COLA is needed on the entire amount of current state aid. Contact links: NYS Assembly Members & Senators. |