Jefferson City, Mo. – The case regarding the rate of pay for state employees rages on in the Capitol. If you hadn’t heard of what’s happening there, the basics of the argument are that while many agree that in order to retain employees, Missouri will need to increase pay, but how much and who gets these increases are coming into question. Some state these increases should only apply to specific jobs. Others say the base pay should increase to 15 dollars an hour across the board, and others still are saying it should be 12 dollars an hour, which is the rate of minimum wage for Missouri.
Director Patrick McKenna gives us a MoDOT’s perspective and plea for increases for pay:
McKenna: “We lost 8,000…walked out the door…. walked out the door last year…” “…Even if we solve this problem today it will take a decade to recover from…”
At a hearing at the Capitol on Tuesday, McKenna said his department is struggling to get the job done for Missourians. While lawmakers debate the issue, the director says the problem will not be solved overnight.
