PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Thursday said a $3,000 bonus tied to a new contract for state workers that has been criticized by some lawmakers and business leaders will now be categorized as a “stipend,” rather than a payment tied to COVID-19 vaccinations.
McKee made the remark during his biweekly press briefing at the R.I. Department of Administration.
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“I think it was a misstep, and I think I have started to correct that,” said McKee.
McKee said the bonus overshadowed the settling of a four-year agreement between the state and 3,800 union workers who are part of R.I. Council 94 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The union, the largest representing state workers, approved the agreement by a vote of 1,963 to 97 on Dec. 2.
A provision in the agreement called for the union workers to receive $3,000 bonuses if they were to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
McKee said the union agreement was 18 months overdue and should have been settled by his predecessor prior to his assuming office.
“The purpose of a stipend was to make sure we got a good agreement for the people of the state … and I consider [the vaccine provision] a misstep,” he said, noting that the $3,000 now will not be connected to getting vaccinated.
McKee said that he spoke with R.I. Council 94 on Thursday about categorizing the $3,000 as a stipend within the agreement.
“So, it was a misstep, but we’ve corrected it, and I have listened to people and that’s why I stepped in and did what I did,” he said.
Upon passage of the agreement on Dec. 2, McKee said he would have negotiated without including vaccination bonuses, but remarked that the state’s taxpayers could afford it, setting off a wave of criticism from Republican legislators and local business leaders.
Dave Chenevert, executive director of the R.I. Manufacturers Association, was one of those business leaders. He said the governor’s words on Thursday amounted to “semantics,” and other unions will still be seeking the same kind of money for being vaccinated.
“It’s out there now. The seed has been planted,” said Chenevert, noting that a stipend by definition is a fixed payment, whereas a bonus is extra money. “This should have been clarified prior to signing the agreement.”
Chenevert said everybody thinks the bonus is tied to the vaccination.
“If he’s trying to correct that then they should have thought about that before they made the announcement,” he said. “Everybody I talked with about this was not happy with how they proposed it.
“Whatever you call it, a bonus, a stipend – they’re going to get an extra $3,000 that was initially tied to the vaccination. Now it’s not tied to the vaccination,” he added. “It’s really all semantics at this point.”
House Minority Leader Blake A. Filippi, R-New Shoreham, said, “This is an electoral gimmick on the backs of taxpayers, regardless of how they label it.”
(Update: Adds last paragraph with comment from House Minority Leader Blake A. Filippi.)
Cassius Shuman is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Shuman@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @CassiusShuman.
