A committee created to raise wages for Delaware’s educators recommended Monday that bus drivers be paid $25 an hour. The 15-person Public Education Compensation Committee voted to increase the hourly rate of bus drivers from $22.50. The Delaware School Bus Contractors Association has been calling for that hike since February. RELATED: School bus contractors call for higher pay, expanded benefits …
State employee insurance premiums to rise 9.4%
The State Employee Benefits Committee agreed to increase rates for workers on state health insurance by 9.4%. Chris Giovannello, who advises the state on benefits, said the committee had the option of a 16.8% increase at the beginning of July, or the 9.4% increase next year to address a $140.5 million deficit. The committee is expected to vote for the …
Heated debate ends in vote to raise teacher pay over 4 years
Defying the demands of the state teachers union, a committee formed to make recommendations on educator pay voted Monday to bring teacher’s starting salary to $60,000 over four years rather than three. The four-year plan will consist of a 2% salary increase and a flat dollar increase of $1,875 to the base salary for teachers, nurses and administrators each year …
Committee mulls adding weight loss drugs to state health plans
NOTE: This story has been updated to say Sussex County government has no knowledge about any efforts to assure Medicare patients there can have weight loss drugs when others cannot and that county government has no control over what is in individual medical plans. The State Employee Benefits Committee wants more information about new weight loss drugs that are …
Mini-Bond bill heads to Carney; pilot labor projects intact
Despite four attempts by Republicans to amend it, the mini-Bond bill was voted out of the House Thursday and will head to Gov. John Carney to be signed into law. Passing the bill usually is a routine matter, will add 17 projects to the state’s Bond and Capital Improvement fund. Nobody objected to that. What did draw a lot of …
Carney’s education raises cause stir in compensation committee
Gov. John Carney’s announcement last week of a 9% pay raise for teachers caused a lot of comment in Monday night’s Public Education Compensation Committee. Also discussed was a proposal to keep teachers in their Delaware jobs by giving them full pension benefits at 25 years of service instead of making them wait until they reach 30 years. Carney said …
State retirees protest Carney admin’s Medicare Advantage plan
Delaware state government retirees gathered in Wilmington Tuesday with a message for Gov. John Carney and his political appointees: “Keep your hands off our Medicare.” The crowd of mostly senior citizens planned to protest outside the Carvel State Office Building, where the governor, attorney general and New Castle County lawmakers have offices. Rain forced them indoors to the city and …
State will pay for 10 days of COVID-19 leave for teachers
The state will offer up to 10 days of pay for teachers who must quarantine, isolate or care for family members. The state of Delaware will fund up to 10 days of paid leave for teachers who need to take time off their jobs to deal with COVID-19 and will pay for substitute teachers needed to cover those classes. …
Republicans generally pleased with Carney’s budget, but want to see details
The legislators want to know more about state pay raises; a $770,000 program to help DelTech retain instructors; and the $3.6 million for police body cameras.
Carney’s budget: raises for state employees; body cameras; $50 million for clean water
This budget allowed Carney to restore things like a focus on clean water that he had to drop last year when COVID clobbered revenues.