Arizona State Workers Can Get A Pay Hike, If They Give Up Protections

Some say it's a devil's bargain. Arizona government employees, who have suffered recent pay cuts, could get a 5 percent raise. All they have to do is give up many of their civil service protections, reports Stateline. Gov. Jan Brewer's "personnel reform" proposal, if it becomes law, would strip away much of the job security of all new hires, the newly promoted, attorneys, IT workers, and anyone who wants a 5 percent pay hike.

Arizona is one of many states trying to peel back these protections in order to create greater flexibility when it comes to hiring, promoting and firing. State workers in Arizona, as in most of the country, have greater job security than their private sector peers. The vast majority of American private sector workers are "at-will," which means their supervisors can fire them whenever and for whatever reason they want.