April 2018 • Vol. 36, Issue 3
THE
REPORTER
State Employees Association of North Carolina
Prison reform the focus as GA session approaches The attacks continue on the brave workers and officers at our state prisons, with state workers being assaulted at a rate of once every eight hours. Enough is enough. Earlier this year, SEANC’s Select Committee on Prison Reform began sorting through member suggestions on how to make a safer work environment. More than 150 SEANC members who work in corrections submitted responses online, and SEANC President Stanley Drewery and other SEANC leaders met in person with dozens more workers. The committee is developing a list of practical solutions suggested by correctional officers and staff, giving
them a voice in the ongoing discussion. These solutions will provide a framework for SEANC’s legislative efforts in the coming year and will be used by Drewery as he serves on Gov. Roy Cooper’s task force. Suggestions include: • Increased pay and job security for officers and staff to tackle the understaffing problem. • Policy changes, like an overhaul of the inmate infractions system. • Increased training and a significant investment in equipment. SEANC will continue to work with Gov. Cooper’s administration and legislative leaders to make sure that workers’ voices are heard in the
Failed UNC/Atrium merger similar to ECU proposal A proposed merger between UNC Health Care and Atrium Health of Charlotte failed in early March because of concerns similar to those SEANC has raised of the proposed ECU Physicians/Vidant Health merger. Many state leaders, including State Treasurer Dale Folwell, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and SEANC, objected to the UNC/Atrium merger, which would have created one of the largest hospital systems in the country. SEANC Executive Director Robert Broome joined Folwell in a meeting with UNC officials in late February, and left with more questions than answers
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about the fate of 14,000 state employees affected by the proposal. “Although we received verbal assurances that state employees would be protected, there were key provisions that weren’t spelled out,” Broome said. “I would have thought by now they would be able to articulate the details of how the joint operating committee would function.” SEANC continues to speak out about a similar situation in Greenville, where hospital behemoth Vidant is attempting to monopolize health care in eastern North Carolina by merging with ECU Physicians. The merger puts the careers of 1,321 state employees in jeopardy. It will also lead to increased costs for thousands of patients in the region and for the State Health Plan, and result in the forfeiture of millions of dollars of state assets to Vidant.
ongoing reform process. We urge all members to contact their lawmakers before the upcoming General Assembly short session, which begins on May 16. Visit engage.seanc.org to look up your legislators’ contact information, and send them a message easily. Ask them to visit a prison and see the dangers first-hand, and impress upon them that all state employee and retiree issues should be prioritized in the upcoming session.
Leonard retires after 41 years of SEANC service Longtime SEANC staff member Mitch Leonard called it a career in early March after 41 years of service to state employees and retirees in North Mitch Leonard Carolina. Leonard became the first field representative for SEANC’s predecessor organization, the North Carolina State Government Employees Association (NCSGEA) in 1977, and covered the entire state for many years. In recent years, he also served as a lobbyist. He came out of retirement in 2015 when he was named SEANC’s Executive Director, a capacity he served in until Jan. 1, when Robert Broome took over. “It’s safe to say that no one has ever done more to advance the lives and interests of state employees and retirees than Mitch,” said President Stanley Drewery. “His commitment and dedication to this organization are unparalleled, and his retirement leaves big shoes to fill.”