Estimated 30,000 Applied for 1,110 State Jobs in RI in 2014
Kate Nagle, GoLocal Contributor
Estimated 30,000 Applied for 1,110 State Jobs in RI in 2014
According to the Rhode Island Department of Administration, prior to the new website, the number of jobs posted -- and filled -- was the only information readily available. As 16,502 applications were tallied from July 1 to December 31, 2014 the number of applications could have easily exceeded 30,000 for the 1,187 positions posted, and 919 filled, in the last calendar year.
SLIDES: See the 50 Highest Paid RI State Employees BELOW
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"OSTPA believes the abundance of applications for state jobs reflects not just the high unemployment rate but the underemployed as well. RI’s unemployment rate does not provide the full picture of its economy. When you consider that Massachusetts is well beyond reclaiming the jobs that were lost as a result of the 2008 crash, Little Rhody falls far behind with only recovering a little more than half of its lost jobs. That means a lot of people are looking for work," said Pam Gencarella, spokesperson for taxpayer advocacy group OSTPA.
"And, the state is the largest employer in RI. We know there is a significant number of employed individuals that have had to take much lower paying jobs, perhaps two of them, in order to make ends meet," continued Gencarella. "A state position, with salary and benefits higher than its private counterpart’s salary and benefits, looks good to anyone desiring to improve their financial condition.
According to the Department of Administration, in 2012, 1,132 jobs were posted and 897 filled; in 2013 1,390 jobs were posted and 955 filled.
Crunching the Numbers
The number of unemployed RI residents, which is considered to be those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment— was said to be 34,600, down 300 from the revised February figure of 34,900, representing the lowest unemployment level since November 2007. Over the year, the number of unemployed dropped by 11,200.
RI Council 94 AFSCME -- which represents state and municipal employees -- weighed in on the number of applications for state jobs as reported by Department of Administration.
"I'm not surprised on the number of applications for state jobs. For the last 3 years Rhode Island has routinely ranked in the as one of the top 5 states with the highest unemployment rates in the country," said Council 94 President J. Michael Downey
"Council 94 is always willing to work collaboratively to identify ways to develop cost savings. Council 94 maintains the state could cut costs on the amount of funds spent in private vendors, temporary employees, and consultants," continued Downey. "Please keep in mind that all the rounds of painful pension changes were estimated to save the state over $3 billion dollars. Respectfully, it's time for private vendors, temporary employees, and consultants share in the sacrifices."
Governor Gina Raimondo had proposed freezing longevity pay during her first year in office, but has since withdrawn the intended cost-cutting proposal -- for now.
"There is currently a job classification-and-pay study underway. The administration decided it will make the most sense to look at this proposal after the completion of the classification study," said Alison Rogers with the Department of Administration.
"The Department of Administration will be reviewing all opportunities for cost-savings, including new opportunities for wellness initiatives, as well as potential savings related to decisions to fill open positions, determining whether a vacancy should be filled and, if so, what the appropriate salary level will be to fill any vacancies," continued Rogers. "Additionally, as Governor Raimondo noted when she introduced her jobs plan, there may be a potential for higher than projected revenues this spring and, if so, the Governor noted she would use those revenues to decrease the total amount of personnel savings necessary to balance the budget."
Critics Question Costs
"As of last year, the compensation for public sector workers in Rhode Island is 24% higher than comparable private sector positions and it's 32% higher when job security is taken into account. Further, Rhode Island state workers are the seventh highest paid in the country, according to the latest U.S. Census data. Clearly, the state is paying too much for public labor costs," said Monique Chartier, with the advocacy group RI Taxpayers.
"These figures become even more stark, not to mention inequitable, when Rhode Island's high unemployment is taken into consideration," continued Chartier. "Of course, Rhode Islanders are breaking down the door to work for the state! Who wouldn't, at this level of compensation?"
"Our elected officials need to get these costs under control by bringing these compensation levels more in line - initially with public sector compensation in other states and, eventually, more in line with the private sector in Rhode Island," said Chartier. " It is patently wrong and indefensible that the compensation gap between public employees and the taxpayers who pay those wages is so wide. Is there any question that, if the state posted new job openings at a compensation level of, say, twenty percent lower than the present, there would still be a tidal wave of applicants? Our state officials need to keep this uppermost in their mind when they are negotiating the next contract - or see the need to adjust the current one."
Mike Stenhouse with the Center for Freedom and Prosperity noted their own reports which he said showed that compensation levels for Rhode Island state employees was markedly higher than the private sector.
"The Center's 2012 report showed that state and local government workers in Rhode Island enjoy significantly higher compensation levels than their private sector counterparts, 78% higher than the national norm," said Stenhouse. "No wonder people are lining up around the block to cash in on government largesse at the expense of everyday taxpayers. Generous collective bargaining provisions that benefit the special few, mean that average families have to cut back on conveniences for their children."
RI's Top 50 Highest Paid State Employees in 2014
#50
Melanie Thunberg
Department: Judicial
Title: Associate Justice
Total: $179,323.92
Reg. Pay: $179,323.92
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#49
Kathleen Voccola
Department: Judicial
Title: Associate Justice
Total: $179,323.92
Reg. Pay: $179,323.92
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#48
Paul Fetter Jr.
Department: Corrections
Title: Corr Officer LT.
Total: $181,808.51
Reg. Pay: $77,470.71
Overtime: $96,198.73
Other: $$8,139.07
#47
Jeanne Lafazia
Department: Judicial
Title: Chief Justice, District Ct.
Total: $181,819.66
Reg. Pay: $180,818.66
Overtime: $0
Other: $$1,001.00
#46
Laureen Dambra
Department: Judicial
Title: Associate Justice
Total: $182,271.02
Reg. Pay: $182,271.02
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#45
Christine Ferguson
Department: Governors Office
Title: Director
Total: $182,899.98
Reg. Pay: $182,899.98
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#44
Thomas Guertin
Department: Administration
Title: Chief Digital Officer
Total: $183,897.21
Reg. Pay: $183,897.21
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#43
Charlene Tate
Department: BHDDH
Title: CHF OF MED STF & CLIN SV/EL SL
Total: $184,277.16
Reg. Pay: $184,277.16
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#42
Frank Anzeveno Jr.
Department: Legislative
Title: Chief of Staff
Total: $187,117.16
Reg. Pay: $125,907.21
Overtime: $0
Other: $61,209.95
Note: Terminated as of 3/29/14
#41
Louis Cerbo
Department: Corrections
Title: Clinical Director, Psychologist
Total: $188,412.98
Reg. Pay: $101,929.98
Overtime:
Other: $86,483.00
#40
Sylvia Macagba
Department: BHDDH
Title: Supervising Registered Nurse B
Total: $189,527.36
Reg. Pay: $107,132.22
Overtime: $77,004.48
Other: $5,390.66
#39
Virginia Dayon
Department: BHDDH
Title: Registered Nurse A
Total: $189,811.11
Reg. Pay: $85,934.10
Overtime: $99,717.06
Other: $4,159.95
#38
John Meehan
Department: Corrections
Title: Corr Officer LT.
Total: $191,003.57
Reg. Pay: $76,264.12
Overtime: $106,115.92
Other: $8,623.53
#37
Utpala Bandyopadhay MD
Department: Health
Title: Medical Dir. Disease Control
Total: $191,349.34
Reg. Pay: $191,349.34
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#36
Mark Higgins
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $192,833.94
Reg. Pay: $192,833.94
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#35
George Healy
Department: Judicial
Title: CHF Judge Workers Comp Court
Total: $193,147.06
Reg. Pay: $193,147.06
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#34
Josephine St. John
Department: BHDDH
Title: Supervising Registered Nurse B
Total: $194,120.44
Reg. Pay: $99,389.12
Overtime: $45,575.52
Other: $49,155.80
#33
John Kirby
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $194,670.06
Reg. Pay: $194,670.06
Overime: $0
Other: $0
#32
Winifred Brownell
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $195,814.06
Reg. Pay: $195,814.06
Overime: $0
Other: $0
#31
Dale Fogarty
Department: Corrections
Title: Correctional Officer Hospital II
Total: $195,817.71
Reg. Pay: $80,613.59
Overtime: $110,752.18
Other: $4,451.94
#30
Portia Richardson
Department: BHDDH
Title: Registered Nurse
Total: $196,187.46
Reg. Pay: $90,726.02
Overtime: $101,016.70
Other: $4,444.74
#29
Haiganush Bedrosian
Department: Judicial
Title: Chief Judge (Family court)
Total: $197,256.68
Reg. Pay: $197,256.68
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#28
Alice Gibney
Department: Judicial
Title: Presiding Justice (Supe CT.)
Total: $197,256.68
Reg. Pay: $197,256.68
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#27
Raymond Wright
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $199,105.92
Reg. Pay: $199,105.92
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#26
Maureen Goldberg
Department: Judicial
Title: Asso. Justice (Supreme Court)
Total: $199,177.14
Reg. Pay: $199,177.14
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#25
Gilbert Indeglia
Department: Judicial
Title: Asso. Justice (Supreme Court)
Total: $199,177.14
Reg. Pay: $199,177.14
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#24
Jennifer Trayner
Department: BHDDH
Title: Psychiatrist IV
Total: $200,188.57
Reg. Pay: $120,788.57
Overtime: $79,400.00
Other: $0
#23
Nancy Carriuolo
Department: RI College
Title: Non Classified
Total: $200,196.88
Reg. Pay: $200,196.88
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#22
Angela Lacombe
Department: BHDDH
Title: Psychiatrist IV
Total: $201,468.56
Reg. Pay: $123,560.06
Overtime: $77,100.00
Other: $808.50
#21
Andrew Lekos
Department: BHDDH
Title: Physician II
Total: $202,887.94
Reg. Pay: $121,012.06
Overtime: $81,078.00
Other: $797.88
#20
Thorr Bjorn
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $203,424.96
Reg. Pay: $179,424.96
Overtime: $24,000.00
Other: $0
#19
Etop Okokon
Department: BHDDH
Title: Registered Nurse B
Total: $203,935.08
Reg. Pay: $86,933.53
Overtime: $111,124.71
Other: $5,876.84
#18
Audra Di Chiaro
Department: BHDDH
Title: Consultant Public Health Nurse
Total: $205,213.90
Reg. Pay: $95,736.94
Overtime: $0
Other: $109,476.96
#17
Stella Adeniyi
Department: BHDDH
Title: Registered Nurse B
Total: $205,607.25
Reg. Pay: $100,013.18
Overtime: $100,467.97
Other: $5,126.10
#16
Deborah Gist
Department: Education
Title: Commissioner of Elem & Sec Ed
Total: $205,724.94
Reg. Pay: $202,999.94
Overtime: $2,725.00
Other: $0
#15
Michael Tierney Jr.
Department: Corrections
Title: Corr Officer LT.
Total: $208,107.72
Reg. Pay: $78,107.12
Overtime: $124,599.31
Other: $5,401.29
#14
Patrick Flynn
Department: Corrections
Title: Corr Officer LT.
Total: $210,060.51
Reg. Pay: $78,051.12
Overtime: $124,517.97
Other: $7,491.42
#13
Bruce Corliss
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $210,999.88
Reg. Pay: $210,999.88
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#12
Manish Desai
Department: BHDDH
Title: Physician Administrator
Total: $213,684.50
Reg. Pay: $140,760.10
Overtime: $72,924.40
Other: $0
#11
Robert Weygand
Department: URI
Title: Non Class Code 10
Total: $218,675.46
Reg. Pay: $166,968.10
Overtime: $0
Other: $51,707.36
#10
Paul Suttell
Department: Judicial
Title: Chief Justice (Supreme Court)
Total: $219,096.64
Reg. Pay: $219,096.64
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#9
Ramanamma Reddy
Department: BHDDH
Title: Physician Administrator
Total: $220,518.33
Reg. Pay: $137,159.88
Overtime: $81,602.50
Other: $1,755.95
#8
Alan Rothman
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $227,000.02
Reg. Pay: $227,000.02
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#7
Fritz Pluviose
Department: BHDDH
Title: Physician Administrator
Total: $228,448.18
Reg. Pay: $142,174.76
Overtime: $86,273.42
Other: $0
#6
Christina Stanley
Department: Health
Title: Chief Medical Examiner
Total: $231,233.76
Reg. Pay: $230,349.14
Overtime: $0
Other: $884.62
#5
Pedro Tactacan
Department: BHDDH
Title: Asst Chief of Psychiatric Services
Total: $235,496.04
Reg. Pay: $149,596.04
Overtime: $85,900.00
Other: $0
#4
Donald Dehayes
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $238,702.88
Reg. Pay: $238,702.88
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#3
Ray Di Pasquale
Department: Community College of RI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $265,000.06
Reg. Pay: $265,000.06
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#2
David Dooley
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $319,999.94
Reg. Pay: $319,999.94
Overtime: $0
Other: $0
#1
Daniel Hurley
Department: URI
Title: Non Classified
Total: $627,499.96
Reg. Pay: $299,999.96
Overtime: $327,500.00
Other: $0
