RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) -- Both the House and Senate Finance Committees in the General Assembly voted Sunday to increase a scheduled raise for state workers.
State employees have not received a raise since 2007, despite receiving occasional bonuses following budget surpluses.
"This is good news for state employees," Ron Jordan, executive director of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association, said.
Last session the General Assembly voted to give employees a raise of two percent effective this coming July.
Both the House and Senate plans passed Sunday voted to increase it an additional one percent resulting in an average raise of about $1200 dollars when you factor in the already scheduled raises.
But the House and Senate Plans are not equal.
Under the Senate plan, all employees are given a one percent increase. A benefit for employees who just started working for the Commonwealth.
The House plan however addresses Salary Compression.
This is the phenomenon that allows a newer employee to make more than an employee who has been their longer.
"The House Plan attempts to attack that with funding targeted for employees who have more than five years of service and up to 30 years of service by giving 50 dollars for every year of service," Jordan says.
This resulted in a lot of happy faces on Capitol Square Monday.
Colonial Steve Pike of the Capitol Police wouldn't comment on the additional pay raise but did comment about the two percent anticipated raise coming to his officers this July.
"It is definitely a morale booster," Pike said.
"Almost 30 percent of my patrolman have part time jobs. Any increase allows them more opportunities to spend with their family," Pike added.
