Senator calls for overdue action on fair salaries in public sector

By THE STAR STAFF

Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde called for immediate action on Monday, Labor Day, to address the salary inequities that public servants continue to face and pointed out three examples that, in her opinion, demonstrate the need to move from announcements and studies to implementation.

“Standardizing salaries cannot mean erasing the career path of public servants,” the at-large senator said. “We can create new pay scales and conduct market research, but if we don’t adequately recognize years of service, experience, and academic qualifications when setting salaries, we continue to create injustices.”

Álvarez Conde specifically highlighted the situation of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources’ Ranger Corps. Law 156-2024 established a base salary and salary increases for those public servants, but they are still demanding its implementation.

“Law 156 was passed in 2024. It’s now 2026. How much longer do security guards have to wait to receive what has become law?” she said. “A law that isn’t implemented doesn’t do justice to the worker.”

Álvarez Conde also highlighted the situation at the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, where workers responsible for operating and maintaining one of the island’s most important essential services continue to face salaries that make it difficult to recruit and retain staff.

“We want better water services, but that also requires investing in those who keep the system running,” she said. 

The senator also questioned aspects of the government’s new Classification and Remuneration Plan, particularly the treatment of incumbent employees with decades of experience and academic preparation.

“After years of working with tables, classifications, and scales, we have to ask ourselves something very simple: how much were the years of service and how much were the studies of the employee who was already there worth?” she said. “That answer has to be clear.”