February 2011 Spotlight

The Take Pride in Carolina campaign will have its own logo and will use several modes of communication to highlight public services and the people who provide them. This outreach will include a distinct website, a blog, TV and radio advertisements , direct mail, social media, text messaging and hometown rallies.

Communications: The SEANC Central Office is increasing its communications to include more Legislative Updates, SEANC Warriors grassroots lobbying opportunities, additional Facebook posts and, coming soon, a Twitter feed. Please take a moment to verify that SEANC has your correct e-mail address on file. If you use Twitter, you can sign up now to follow SEANC on @SEIU2008.

SEANC Ethics Policy update: Several districts raised concerns to the Executive Committee about loopholes and inherent conflicts of interest that (1) allowed leaders of the association to run for office while simultaneously holding an elected or appointed SEANC officer of SEANC and (2) allowed current elected or appointed state government officials to serve as elected or appointed officials within SEANC. The Executive Committee unanimously voted to revise the ethics policy and presented a proposed ethics revision to the BOG for action. After considerable debate, the BOG voted to update the ethics policy.

The practical effect of this policy would have SEANC officers and certain SEANC staff positions resign their positions if they filed to run for a political office or hold a political appointee position in state government. The ethics policy update takes effect immediately.

The full text of the resolution below: The SEANC Board of Governors resolves that it hereby amends the SEANC Ethics Policy to state that it is unethical for any person who has filed to run for or who holds an elected or appointed public office to serve as an elected or appointed state-level officer of SEANC, including its subsidiary bodies, or to be employed as SEANC’s executive director, political director, legislative affairs director or chief of staff/general counsel.

SEANC Ethics Compliance: SEANC General Counsel Tom Harris distributed certification forms relating to the SEANC ethics policy and tax reports for completion by the district chairpersons and district treasurers who missed doing this at the convention. All district chairpersons and district treasurers must complete this paperwork and return it to Tom Harris by the end of March.

Meet and Confer Update: SEANC Intergovernmental Liaison Linda Rouse Sutton presented an overview of the Meet and Confer Executive Order 45, outlining what is permitted under the order and how SEANC plans to execute this new opportunity to work more closely with employees across state government. Sutton explained how the new Meet and Confer process will empower members to be more proactive in their workplace issues and asked for BOG members to forward names to identify a few people within each state group or agency who would help lead this effort within their agencies. Members can contact Sutton at 252-559-0291 or lsutton@seanc.org with names or questions.

Bylaws Update – Chairman Cliff Brown presented an update about bylaws updates. Two bylaws amendments that the committee is working toward involve two-year officer terms and a biennial convention beginning in 2016. The rationale is to align officer terms and the SEANC convention more closely with the state election cycle. SEANC must also change its bylaws to elect members to the SEIU convention to concur with federal law. The bylaws amendment would specify how the elections would occur.