May 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 on May 14‐15, 2010, in Raleigh to discuss important business for state employees and retirees.

OFFICER CANDIDATE ANNOUNCEMENTS The following members announced their intention to run for SEANC office for the 2010‐2011 year: • • • •

Sidney Sandy of District 11 for First Vice President Jim Rowell of District 12 for First Vice President Marilyn Jean Martin of District 12 for Treasurer Tommy Griffin of District 25 for Treasurer

TREASURER’S REPORT Cheryl Moon reported that the association is at 58 percent of receipts and total disbursements are at 50 percent, which is excellent for this time of year.

NONMEMBER SURVEY Alex Horowitz of Peter Hart Research made a presentation to the board outlining a telephone survey with 802 state employees who are not SEANC members on April 29‐May 1 to determine which nonmembers are interested in joining SEANC. Eighty‐seven percent of state employees surveyed knew of SEANC. The survey found that 25 percent of state employees have a great deal/fair amount of interest in joining SEANC, and of that group, that those employees who work in higher education and who support collective bargaining are more likely to join. Wages and salaries are nonmember priorities, followed by health insurance and retirement and pension concerns. Nonmembers perceived SEANC as lobbying for good salaries/benefits, committed to quality services for the public and focused on solving problems, not about confrontations. One‐third of nonmembers cannot recall an opportunity to join SEANC. Seventy‐six percent of nonmembers who haven’t been asked to join haven’t thought about joining – so the message here is to ask your co‐workers to join SEANC! And remember to make sure to let them know that SEANC is an advocate with the governor and legislature for their pay and benefits. SEIU International provided SEANC a grant to pay for the poll.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT Dana Cope discussed many important topics regarding SEANC, including the governor’s budget and retiree issues. The upcoming Senate Democratic budget is going to throw state employees and teachers under the bus by not funding the state employees’ payback from last year’s lost wages and the teachers’ 1

step increase. This year SEANC is asking the General Assembly for $181 million to fully fund the retirement system. The good news is that cuts to the DHHS Schools for the Deaf and the Blind are likely to have their funding restored in the General Assembly this year. President Andy Stern retired as the head of SEIU International; the new president is Mary Kay Henry. SEANC is continuing to support SEIU’s effort to run candidates under the banner of the North Carolina First Party.

INSURANCE Chairwoman Pam Hailey presented an insurance bylaws amendment to remove members of the Insurance Board of Trustees if a member fails to attend three consecutive board meetings. Removal may occur only after charges and specifications are made in writing and the person charged has been given an opportunity to explain or defend the action requested. Ken Lang and Danny Cotton of Colonial Insurance reviewed their longstanding partnership between SEANC and Colonial and discussed access issues. Cope explained that there is a legal question within the governor’s office as to whether or not SEANC and our Colonial partners must go through the agency committees to sell insurance. SEANC General Counsel Tom Harris drafted a legal memo explaining the legal position of the association and our ability to sell insurance, which is now with the governor’s general counsel who will review the memo and get back with SEANC. NORTH CAROLINA FIRST DISCUSSION Following a failed motion to rescind the vote of the Executive Committee that committed SEANC to support SEIU’s efforts to form a third political party in North Carolina, Pres. Tony Smith described the Executive Committee’s vote to establish the North Carolina First Party – a third party supporting working families. Pres. Smith scheduled a vote before the Executive Committee, who voted last month to support SEIU’s efforts.

SCHOLARSHIP This year the Scholarship Foundation will sell tickets for a cash raffle in lieu of a truck. The tickets were distributed to each district chairman. The winners of the cash raffle will be announced at convention.

The top prize is $6,000. Judging for this year’s scholarships will be held next week. The Don Jones Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held June 18‐19 in Southern Pines, and districts may sponsor holes for $100 by May 30. Five members of the foundation board will rotate off this year and persons interested in running for the board should contact Mitch Leonard at mleonard@seanc.org.

District 65’s Vice Chairman Bill Dawson and District Scholarship Chairwoman Debbie Austin presented a $10,000 check to the board.

MEMBERSHIP Director of Member Action Lynn Cote reported that District 17 recruited 78 members at a blitz and District 5 will have a blitz in June. Statewide recruitment week saw 26 of 53 districts participate and 181 new members recruited. June is Retirees Back in the Workplace Month. SEANC challenges retirees to hold membership recruitment events at their former worksites. To participate, contact Lynn Cote at lcote@seanc.org. This year the board set a recruitment goal of 6,301 new members and the districts have recruited 2,206 toward the goal. Districts 22, 24 and 45 met their recruitment goals. Eighty new retiree members have been recruited since the last meeting. Be on the lookout for an e‐mail regarding recruitment incentives. One incentive is a $100 prize to the top recruiter from Aug. 1 to Aug. 20.

MEMBER DISCOUNT Chairman Henry Belada reported that 121 new businesses have been signed up since August.

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YOUTH COUNCIL Emily Jones is the new Youth Council Chairwoman as Laura Price submitted her resignation.

RETIREE COUNCIL The Retiree Council’s top 2010 priority is to have the $181 million needed to fully fund the retirement system. To help achieve this goal, SEANC authored and had 13 associations sign on to a letter to the General Assembly in support of the final budget including the $181 million for the retirement system.

The Executive Committee went on record supporting an effort to have retirees included in the NCThinks Program in order to show retirees the same respect as active employees.

COMMUNICATIONS Chairman Jim Pressley announced that the committee will present four awards at convention to include: broadcast media, print media, district website/bulletin board or a special recognition for district communications that are not a website or bulletin board. The first two awards will be selected from SEANC’s media ambassadors or SEANC members who have participated in media interviews; news clips are gathered by the Communications Department. To nominate your district communication, please send it in an e‐mail to Toni Davis at tdavis@seanc.org. There is no form that needs to be filled out, just send an e‐mail. Deadline for nominations will be July 16.

A communications audit survey will be conducted to determine what SEANC members want to know and how often they want to receive SEANC communications. The survey can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/SEANC‐CPR and hardcopies will be provided at district annual meetings by staff. The deadline for turning in the survey is July 16. If you complete the survey, you could be entered to win a prize.

MEMBER ACTION TEAM Lobby Day currently has 221 members signed up to attend. Buses have been secured to travel from Goldsboro and Wilmington. Lunch will be available on‐site. District chairmen are requested to go back to their districts and ask for additional participation in order to have a successful Lobby Day on June 8.

POLICY PLATFORM The statewide committee will meet on July 22 to consider policy platform proposals that have been approved at district annual meetings. Each district should plan to have their district’s policy platform chairman at the statewide meeting.

EMPAC Chairman Mark Dearmon reflected on the primary election: 12 of the 19 primary candidates endorsed by EMPAC won their elections. One race is headed for a runoff, where SEANC is supporting Lula Crenshaw on June 22 for Senate District 21 in the Fayetteville area. Contributions can be sent to the Committee to Elect Lula Crenshaw at P.O. Box 9002, Fayetteville, NC 28311. District 26 is a platinum district who has exceeded 40 percent EMPAC participation.

BUDGET REFORM AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE Past President Linda Rouse Sutton has been highlighting the inequities regarding a proposal to privatize state maintenance services on the governor’s BRAC committee. Questions that she raised are ensuring that apple‐to‐apple comparisons are now being made on this committee. A new member has been added to the committee: former Sen. Tony Rand.

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CONVENTION COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT This year convention delegates will participate in a new community service project: delegates are urged to bring non‐perishable food donations to benefit the six major food banks of North Carolina. In addition to non‐perishable food items, the food banks are in need of hygiene items (toothpaste, soap) and baby products (diapers, wipes, formula). District chairmen will be allowed to make monetary donations from the floor on Thursday at convention where representatives from the food banks will be on hand to collect the donations.

MINORITY COUNCIL PROPOSED District 40 Chairwoman April Graham proposed that SEANC start a Minority Council. The council will serve for the purpose of researching the issues impacting women and people of color, advising SEANC on the issues and recruiting members into SEANC. The council shall be comprised of a chairperson and three members from each SEANC region. Minorities are defined as women and people of color.

VOTES PASSED – An amendment to the Insurance Board of Trustees Bylaws to have the authority to remove from office any member of the Insurance Board of Trustees who is absent from three consecutive board meetings (passed unanimously) FAILED – An amendment to the Insurance Board of Trustees Bylaws motion above to add the words “without a proper excuse” after the word authority FAILED – A motion to rescind the vote of the Executive Committee that committed SEANC to support a third political party in North Carolina PASSED – A motion for the president to appoint a Minority Council PASSED – A motion to add persons with disabilities to the Minority Council The Board of Governors will meet next in Raleigh on July 23‐24.

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