A bulletin distributed after each Board of Governors meeting for use in district newsletters, websites and meetings. For more information, contact the SEANC Communications/PR Department at 800-222-2758 or 919-833-6436. The Spotlight can be found on the SEANC website, www.seanc.org, under “News/Publications.”
TheBoardofGovernors(BOG)metonNov.5-6,2010,todiscussbusinessimportanttostateemployees andretirees.
PRESIDENT’S RETREAT/BIENNIAL CONVENTION
PresidentCharlesJohnsonreportedontheoutcomesfromhisOct.27retreatandrequestedthattheBOG discussandvoteontheconceptofconvertingSEANCfromanannualtoabiennialconventionstructure. PresidentJohnsonnotedthatthishadbeendiscussedformanyyearsandrequestedavotetoempower BylawsChairmanCliffBrowntolookintothebylawschangesneededtoconverttoabiennialconvention
Aftermuchdebate,regionalbreakoutsanddiscussiontheBOGvotedtoauthorizeBrowntomove forward. Allpotentialbylawschangesmustbepassedatadistrict’sannualmeeting,forwardedtothe statewideBylawsCommitteeandthentoconventiondelegatesforafinalvote.
PresidentJohnsonbelievesthatthischangeisagoodidea,wouldcreateacost-savingsandfreeupfunds tobettermeettheneedsofthemembership.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Budget: ExecutiveDirectorDanaCopewaspleasedtoreportonSEANC’s2009-2010year-endbudget. Lastyearmembershiprecruitmentexceededexpectationsandthestaffwasextremelyfrugalwiththe association’smoney. Asaresult,receiptsexceededexpectationsinlastyear’sbudgetat104percentand disbursementswere95percent,leavingSEANCwithunallocatedfundsfortheBOGtocommit. In additionthepassageofthebylawsamendmentattherecentconventionfortheSEANCdistrictstopay SEIUdues,50centspermemberpermonth,fromthemonthlydistrictrebatecreatedadditional unallocatedfundsatthestatelevel.
TheExecutiveCommitteeproposedabudgetamendment,whichunanimouslypassed,tocommitsurplus fundstowardtheSEANCmortgage,establishareserveaccounttopayforcostsassociatedwithattending 2012SEIUConventioninDenver,Colo.,andtosetasidefundstobuildupSEANC’scashreserveaccount.
Holliman Defeated: WhileSEANCdidnotendorseGeneralAssemblycandidates,theassociationdecided toengageinonerace–acampaigntodefeatMajorityLeaderHughHolliman(D-Davidson)forhisrolein mismanagingthehealthplan. HollimanwasalsoastrongdefenderofBlueCrossandBlueShieldofNorth Carolina’sno-bidsweethearthealthplancontract. InOctober,SEANCunleashedafloodofadsonTVand
radiopaidfortheSEIUCommitteeonPoliticalEducation,SEANC’sFederalPAC. OnNov.2Hollimanlost hiselection57-42percenttoRepublicanRayneBrown.
General Assembly Budget: NorthCarolina’sbudgetisinaworldofhurtwitha$3.5billiondeficitforthe nextbiennium. Itwillnotbepossibleforlegislatorstosolelycutortaxtheirwayoutofthisyear’sbudget deficit. Withthepoliticalrhetoricoverfromelections,SEANChasanopportunitytoworkwiththenew cropofleaders.Copealsosuggestedadditionalwaysforlegislatorstoincreaserevenueswithouttaxing peoplesuchasprivatizingABCstoresandexpandinggamblingrevenuestoincludetablegames.
Save Our State...Time to Innovate: Toassistlegislatorswithclosingthe$3.5billionbudgetgap,SEANCis seekingourmembers,theexperts,toSaveOurStatefromreductionstoservicesthatourcitizensdepend upon. Stateemployeescantaketheleadandsuggestinnovativeideastosavethegovernmentmoney by fillingouttheSOSform. AllsubmissionsshouldbesenttoTonyBooeattbooe@seanc.orgorfaxedto 919-829-5829.
Staff Reorganization: Thestaffhasbeenrealignedtoprovidebettercustomerserviceforourmembers. EasternMemberActionCoordinatorBennyBrigmanannouncedhisretirementeffectiveNov.30.
PERSONNEL RECORDS UPDATE
LegislativeAffairsDirectorArdisWatkinsaddressedthenewlawopeningupsomepersonnelrecordsfor publicdisclosure. WatkinssaidthatseveralopinionsweresolicitedfromtheAttorneyGeneral’sofficeas tohowtheagenciesshouldinterpretthenewlaw.Therulingwasthat,asofOct.1,2010,thefollowing informationaboutemployeesisconsideredtobepublic:salaryhistory(currentagencyhistoryonly), dismissalletteranddetailedrecordsofpromotionsreceived(ex.whythatemployeereceiveda promotion). DuringthelastsessionintheGeneralAssembly,theN.C.PressAssociationwasseekingto openallemployeerecordsandisexpectedtomakethisapriorityintheGeneralAssemblynextyear.
SEANC GOING GREEN
InordertosaveSEANCmembersmoneyonpaperandpostageandtohelptheenvironment,theBOGwill nowbee-mailedalldocumentspreviouslysentintheweeklyboardmailings. Additionallyallprinted BOGcommitteereportswillnowbeshownelectronicallyratherthanprinted. Allcommitteereports providedduringtheNovemberBOGmeetingandmovingforwardarelinkedinTheSpotlight.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
INSURANCE BOARD OF TRUSTEES-ChairwomanShanticiaHawkinsandDirectorofInsuranceBrenda HookerpresentedaproposalfromtheInsuranceBoardofTrusteestochangetheColonialInsurance contractfromanadministrativefeestructuretoacommission-basedstructureforSEANC. Theboard votedunanimouslyinfavoroftheproposal.
BYLAWS-ChairmanCliffBrownreportedtotheBOGthatalldistrictsmusthaveastatebylawschairman. Alldistrictswhohavesuggestionsorquestionsregardingtheproposedbiennialconventionstructure shoulde-mailBrownatseanc2@nc.rr.com.
EMPAC-ChairmanMarkDearmonsaidthePACisontargettohavemorethan$1millionin2012. EMPAC membershipchangeshandsonJan.1,2011,andAmakaFlynnisthenewchairwomanwhowaselectedat convention.
MEMBERSHIP-ChairmanSpillmanGriceannouncedtheregionalmembershipmembers: AlfredJohnson (NorthCentral),VickiLane(West),KenBeaver(Piedmont),MikeKollock(East),CathyFields(South Central)andTrevaBrigman(Retiree). TheDistrict2membershipblitzyielded60newmembers. The committeeispromotinga“StuffYourStocking”Decembermembershiprecruitmentdrive. Eachmember whorecruitsfivenewmemberswillreceive$10. ContactDirectorofMemberActionLynnCoteat lcote@seanc.orgwithanyquestions.
MINORITY COUNCIL-ChairmanNileshSurtireportedthatthecouncilmetduringconventionand decidedtodraftasurveyregardingminorityissues. ThecommitteewillauthoranarticleintheMarch Reportertopromotethesurvey.
RETIREE COUNCIL-ChairmanBobHopperreportedthattheretirementsystem’sactuaryhas recommendedtheemployer’scontributionmustbeincreasedto7.94percentofpayrolltoadequately fundtheretirementsystem.
VETERANS COUNCIL-ChairmanDanEfirdreportedthathehasbeenappointedbyPresidentJohnsonto leadanewveterans’committeeinSEANC. ThepurposeofthecommitteeistopromoteVAbenefitsand makesurethatstateemployeesareavailingthemselvesofthebenefitsthattheyhaverightfullyearnedby servingtheircountry.
SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION BOARD-ChairmanGeorgeThiessenreportedthattheScholarship FoundationBoard’sinvestmentportfolioexceededexpectationslastyearandscholarshipsareexpected toincreasethisyeartoinclude10Member-onlyscholarships,threetwo-yearscholarshipsand14fouryearscholarships. Thecommitteewilldoanothercashraffleatconventionforthisyear’sScholarship Foundationfundraiser. ScholarshipFoundationdirectory
MEMBERSHIP STRENGTH-ChairmanPrestonMooreandDirectorofMemberStrengthKevinLeCount reportedthatthepurposeofthecommitteeistocreateandimplementacomprehensiveplantohelp increasememberinvolvement,activismandempowermentwithinSEANC. MoorepromotedtheMember AdvanceConferencetobeheldonDec.3-4attheHawthorneInninWinston-Salem. Formore informationcontactKevinLeCountatklecount@seanc.org.
YOUTH COUNCIL-ChairwomanEmilyJonesrequestedthateachchairpersonappointonepersoninyour districtastheYouthCouncilchairperson.
AWARDS-ChairwomanMaryO’Neilencouragedalldistrictstosubmitanawardssubmissionthisyear.
MEMBER DISCOUNT-ChairwomanJanetBunchreportedthat107businesseshavebeenrecruitedinto theprogramsinceAugust. BunchcongratulatedGlennAllenofDistrict64whorecruited83AutoZone storesintheEasternpartofthestate.
UPCOMING
MEETING DATES
Nov.13–YouthCouncil
Nov.16–StatewideMembershipMeeting
Dec.8–VeteransCouncilMeeting(informCarriDerrickatcderrick@seanc.orgifyouplantoattend)
Dec.3-4–MemberAdvanceConference,HawthorneInn,Winston-Salem
Dec.18–EMPACTransitionMeeting
VOTES
PASSED-AmotiontoempowertheBylawsChairmanCliffBrowntoinvestigatechangingtheconvention andofficertermsfromanannualtoabiennialstructure.
PASSED-AbudgetamendmentproposedbytheExecutiveCommitteetocommitunallocatedfundsfrom the2009-2010budgettowardtheSEANCmortgage,establishareserveaccounttopayforcosts associatedwithattending2012SEIUConventioninDenver,CO,andtosetasidefundstobuildup SEANC’scashreserveaccount. Passedunanimously.
PASSED-AproposaltochangeSEANC’scontractwithColonialInsurancestructurefroman administrativefeetoacommission-basedstructure. Passedunanimously
PASSED-AmotionfromtheMinorityCounciltoamendtheSEANCOperationsManual,Sec.5,4.1Codeof Ethics,“Procedures,”paragraph4toread“Shallnotformalliances,makedecisionsorengageinactivities inpursuanceofSEANCdutiesthatwoulddiscriminateonthebasisofrace,color,creed,sex,national origin, ancestry,maritalstatus,politicalorreligiousbeliefs,family,socialorculturalbackground,sexual orientation, gender expression, age or disability. New language in bold.
FAILED-AmotiontopostthedraftminutemeetingsfromtheExecutiveCommittee/BOGmeetings
The Board of Governors will meet next in Raleigh on Friday, Feb. 18, 2011.