February 2010 Spotlight

A bulletin distributed after each Board of Governors meeting for use in district newsletters, Web sites and meetings. For more information, contact the SEANC Communications/PR Department at 800­222­2758 or 919­833­6436. The Spotlight can be found on the SEANC Web site, www.seanc.org, under “News/Publications.”

The Board of Governors met Feb. 19‐20, 2010, to conduct association business related to and of concern to state employees and retirees.

OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENTS The following SEANC members announced their intent to run for 2010‐2011 offices: • Sidney Sandy of District 11 for President • Cheryl Moon of District 43 for Second Vice President

In other officer news, First Vice President Pat Reighard announced that he would not seek the office of President.

SEANC, SEIU LOCAL 2008 AFFILIATION OVERWHELMINGLY AFFIRMED A motion from Steve Thompson of District 16 was made to the BOG to instruct the president to serve notice to disaffiliate from SEIU. BOG members overwhelmingly affirmed the affiliation with SEIU by voting down the motion 16–42, thus making SEANC’s affiliation with SEIU permanent.

In SEANC‐SEIU’s affiliation contract, the association included a one‐time termination clause effective two years after the May 3, 2008, signing by giving SEIU 60 days written notice of such intention to terminate. President Tony Smith encouraged the association to have a debate about the affiliation and instructed district chairpersons to receive input from all SEANC members to ensure that members’ opinions were counted in this important vote.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT Executive Order 45 – Dana Cope reported on the recently signed order which allows SEANC to have annual meetings with the governor’s office, quarterly meetings with the State Personnel Director and quarterly meetings at worksites. This is an opportunity for folks to get excited about being a part of SEANC, as any organization that represents 20 percent of state employees in an agency qualifies to represent state employees. As a result of the order, it is important that members invite their coworkers to join SEANC.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield, what aren’t we paying for?– A so‐called “independent” audit of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. shows that taxpayers are paying for food for board meetings, the chief executive officer’s salary, law and more. Read the full report on SEANC’s Facebook page. SEANC

will continue to highlight this misuse of taxpayer money and will call on the legislature to change the management of the State Health Plan from the General Assembly to an independent agency.

2010 Elections – The 2010 elections are extremely important to SEANC as this is the redistricting year and will decide politics for the next 10 years.

Membership – SEANC membership is up 466 members since last October. Sherry Helton, chairwoman of the Membership Committee, requested each chairperson go back to their district for new ideas on how to recruit nonmembers (other than mailings).

Awards – District 2 Chairman Wayne Fish was honored for his work in recruiting 208 members in one week.

TREASURER’S REPORT Cheryl Moon reviewed the Jan. 31 financial statement. Total receipts were at 33 percent and total disbursements at 27 percent. District 68 contributed $750 toward the SEANC building fund. The treasurer voiced concern about instances of excessive mileage reimbursements by members of the BOG and urged them to review their mileage calculations to and from Raleigh. The treasurer also encouraged members to buy an insurance product to increase revenue.

SEANC/SEIU 2008 CODE OF ETHICS AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST POLICY SEANC General Counsel Tom Harris presented a proposed ethics policy based on SEIU’s ethics policy. This policy applies to SEANC districts, boards and committees, statewide officers, district chairpersons and treasurers and managerial employees. The policy was adopted by voice vote and is on the SEANC Web site under “Membership/Member Only.”

NCThinks PRESENTATION Peggy Branch, NCThinks state coordinator of the Office of State Personnel, came to solicit state employees’ ideas to improve employee morale, safety, costs, productivity, working conditions and services to the public. To date, state employees’ suggestions have yielded more than $11 million in savings. For more information, contact NCThinks at 919‐807‐4866 or www.ncthinks.nc.gov.

NCThinks rewards ideas that are adopted with cash awards and paid leave.

BOSTON MUTUAL CONTRACT RENEWAL Insurance Board of Trustees Chairwoman Pam Hailey made a recommendation to the BOG regarding Boston Mutual’s contract renewal and presented four options for the BOG’s consideration. The board adopted a 10 percent rate reduction to be applied equally across all age bands and to increase SEANC’s administration fee to 15 percent of the first $2 million and 12 percent thereafter. Two new age groups, 0‐24 and 25‐29, would be added. An open enrollment will be offered for the new age groups.

RETIREE COUNCIL REPORT Chairman Bob Hopper gave an update of the retiree system. SEANC, along with the Retiree Roundtable and the Retirement Systems Board of Trustees, is seeking a state contribution rate of 6.71 percent. COLAs will need funding on top of that. The RAT Pack training will now be offered

through the North Carolina Organizing Corps (NOC) program (retiree coordinators and district, member action and EMPAC chairpersons are encouraged to attend).

NON­SMOKERS SIGN THE ATTESTION FORM FOR THE 80/20 STATE HEALTH PLAN Director of North Carolinians for Affordable Health Care Chuck Stone reminded BOG members that State Health Plan open enrollment is March 15‐April 9 and that all plan members will be automatically placed into the 70/30 plan. To be in the 80/20 plan, members must sign an attestation form that you don’t use tobacco or you are enrolled in a tobacco cessation program. If you attest you don’t use tobacco, you can be in a pool of randomly selected employees required to go off‐site for a cheek swab on your time and expense.

STATE HEALTH PLAN BLUE RIBBON TASK FORCE Stone is also a member of the State Health Plan Blue Ribbon Task Force. The task force has meetings on Feb. 25, March 25 and April 22. If you have any questions or feedback for the task force, send it to cstone@seanc.org before these meetings. Stone would like any plan members who had lithotripsy treatment in the last 20 years and still have the insurance paperwork associated with the treatment to contact him at cstone@seanc.org or 919‐812‐2341.

POLICY PLATFORM/COLLECTIVE BARGAINING Policy Platform Committee Chairwoman Kay Hovious and Collective Bargaining Committee Chairman Jonathan Stephenson will jointly meet to work out a process for SEANC members to participate in Executive Order 45.

Additionally, Hovious requested that districts review Policy Platform objectives before the committee meets on Feb. 26. Members are encouraged to provide feedback on policy objectives and to submit ideas on how to publicize the Policy Platform process at mhovious@ec.rr.com.

BUDGET REFORM & ACCOUNTABILITY COMMISSION Past President Linda Rouse Sutton sits on the governor’s BRAC. Send your ideas on government efficiencies to Linda Rouse Sutton at lsutton@seanc.org.

BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE REPORT Chairman Ray Evans proposed and the BOG adopted by voice vote the following statement authorizing the following actions: 1. Consider changing the structure of SEANC, SEIU Local 2008 from an annual to a biennial concept.

2. Examine the SEANC, SEIU Local 2008 Bylaws and Operations Manual and other governance documents to determine necessary revisions to realize the biennial structure that may be adopted. This would move the convention to even numbered years and elect officers for two years. In the odd numbered years there would be a business convention.

MEMBERSHIP REPORT Director of Member Action Lynn Cote reported that the association recruited 150 new members during the recent Wake County Blitz. SEANC has recruited 1,006 people since November. District 22 has reached 81 percent of its district goal. Statewide recruitment week is April 19‐23; contact

Lynn Cote at lcote@seanc.org to let her know your plans for the recruitment week. District 13’s Sue and Michael Eldridge were recognized for their innovative membership recruitment events.

EMPAC REPORT Chairman Mark Dearmon told the BOG the Area EMPAC is where the action is this year. Next Saturday after filing closes, the state EMPAC will review the candidates and make recommendations to the areas about suggested races to become involved in – especially in races where the primary is the election. If you want to volunteer for the May 4 primaries, please contact Kevin LeCount at klecount@seanc.org. A Legislative Scorecard will be made available to all members to use during the EMPAC interview process. Nine of the 53 districts have 25 percent of their members contributing to EMPAC. Congrats to District 26 who has 44 percent of their members giving to EMPAC.

SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION REPORT Chairman Mike Bell announced $25,000 is SEANC’s minimum scholarship fundraising goal this year.

In March, there will be five regional scholarship workshops. Bids are being accepted through March for the pickup truck that will be raffled off during convention. All scholarship applications must be turned in by April 15. Districts have 15 days to judge applicants and forward that information to the Scholarship Foundation Board. The scholarship golf tournament has been renamed the Don Jones Memorial Golf Tournament.

LOBBY DAY TRANSPORTATION Vance Hoover of Southern Express has 56‐person buses available to rent for SEANC Lobby Day on June 8. Districts may contact Vance at Vance.hoover@southernexpress.com for a quote.

The next BOG meeting will be held May 14­15 at the SEANC Central Office.