6332

State Productivity Board (SB 6332)

2/7/18   SSB 6332 to re-establish the state Productivity Board did not come up for a vote of the Senate Ways and Means Committee

Bill to bring back state Productivity Board, employee suggestion program takes a big step

1/24/18   The bill to restart the program that generated millions of dollars in taxpayer savings thanks to employees’ “Brainstorm” ideas cleared the Senate State Government Committee Wednesday morning (Jan. 24).

SSB 6332 now goes to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. It has until Feb. 5 to clear that committee.

The bill would restart the state Productivity Board and the “Brainstorm Award” employee suggestion program by July 31.

The quick committee action came shortly after the public hearing where the Federation praised the old program that fell victim to the Great Recession budget cuts.

The program generated more than $62 million in taxpayer savings thanks to state employees’ bright ideas.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Phil Fortunato of the 31st Dist., told the committee the program creates “100,000 eyes” looking for small ideas that when multiplied save tens of thousands of dollars.

AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) Lobbyist Matt Zuvich said the program provides an objective, third-party to evaluate an employee’s suggestion that might have been rejected by his or her own agency.

Zuvich said “some agencies for whatever reason are a barrier and this gives them an independent route to take ideas that can bring efficiencies and savings forward.”

Under the “Brainstorm Awards,” employee suggesters would share in the savings: $10,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less.

Bill would bring back state Productivity Board, employee suggestion program

1/12/18  The program that generated millions of dollars in taxpayer savings thanks to employees’ “Brainstorm” ideas may live again under a new bill that would re-establish the state Productivity Board.

The board was suspended in 2011 as a cost-saving measure brought on by The Great Recession.

Senate Bill 6332, sponsored by Sen. Phil Fortunato of the 31st Dist., would re-start the board by July 31 of this year.

The beauty of the old Productivity Board program was its objectivity. It gave state employees whose good ideas were ignored by their agencies an outlet through the board, which was part of the Office of Secretary of State.

And countless AFSCME Council 28 (WFSE) members used that freedom to innovate and won the popular “Brainstorm Awards” for ideas they generated. They got to share in the savings: $10,000 or 10 percent, whichever was less. That savings sharing plan would also be restored in Fortunato’s bill.