THE
State Employees Association of North Carolina, SEIU Local 2008 P.O. Drawer 27727, Raleigh, NC • www.seanc.org 800-222-2758 • 919-833-6436 • Circulation 55,000
April 2012
• Vol. 30, Issue 5
SEANC Hero Coleman for Lt. Governor by
Kevin LeCount
SEANC Member Strength Director
On March 3, the Employees Political Action Committee, SEANC’s political arm, endorsed state personnel director Linda Coleman, a SEANC member, for the office of Lieutenant Governor in the May 8 Democratic Primary. The first time most North Carolinians noticed Linda Coleman was in 2005 when she was a freshman legislator, serving in the N.C. House after years of dedicated service as a state human resources manager. As the state budget negotiations came to a close, Coleman realized that the Democratic leadership had proposed raises far below what had been promised to state employees. Convinced this was a financial error that traded short-term gains for increased turnover and dissatisfaction, Coleman told her fellow Democrats they were making a huge mistake and she refused to go along. Those of us who witnessed it will never forget her courage and her strength as this brave woman dealt with the hot glare of TV cameras and political pressure from every angle. She insisted that they were balancing the budget on the backs of dedicated state employees while letting
Coleman big corporations off scot-free. She said that was wrong. Because of Coleman’s actions, the leadership was forced to renegotiate. Surprise, surprise! The leadership found a way to balance the state budget while still giving state employees the raise they had been promised. Thus began the storied tenure of Linda Coleman’s service in the N.C. House. She fought for state employees and retirees at great risk to her political career, and she did it again and again during her service as a legislator. The rest of North Carolina was surprised by Coleman’s bold moves, but not those of us who have known Linda Coleman as a SEANC member for years. She is a rock.
“It’s safe to say that there is no better champion for public workers and retirees in North Carolina than Linda Coleman. That’s why I hope you’ll back her to the hilt.” — Wayne Fish, State EMPAC Chairman —
As someone who has been in the human resources field for years, Coleman knows how much people in public and private sector jobs get paid. She understands benefit plans and pensions inside and out. When other lawmakers and the media claim that state employees are overpaid, or that state employee pensions are breaking the budget, she bluntly corrects them with facts. “It’s safe to say that there is no better champion for public workers and retirees in North Carolina than Linda Coleman. That’s why I hope you’ll back her to the hilt,” said State EMPAC Chairman Wayne Fish. Whenever hard decisions have to be made, she’ll stand up for fairness for state workers, and she will be someone who fights for working people, not big corporations. EMPAC invited all seven candidates who filed for the office of Lieutenant Governor to the March 3 forum. Only Coleman and state Rep. Dale Folwell attended. “EMPAC greatly appreciated Rep. Folwell’s attendance at the forum and his willingness to share his thoughtful ideas with SEANC members,” said Fish. “But Coleman’s record of support for quality public services is too strong to overlook.” EMPAC is made up of democratically elected SEANC members representing all SEANC districts statewide.
klecount@seanc.org