THE
State Employees Association of North Carolina, SEIU Local 2008 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609 • www.seanc.org 800-222-2758 • 919-833-6436 • Circulation 55,000
February 2015
• Vol. 33, Issue 3
SEANC’s Top Priority: A Meaningful Raise
T
he action in North Carolina is heating up and not just on the basketball court. I am talking about the action in the halls of the General Assembly. Recently, I sat down with a reporter who asked me to spell out SEANC’s top priorities in the 2015 session. For me this is a slam dunk question since SEANC members determine our legislative priorities at our annual convention each September. Our members voted overwhelmingly to make a pay increase their top priority in this General Assembly session, which started in early January. SEANC lobbyists, staff and members have been at the legislature daily to welcome and remind lawmakers of the need to value North Carolina’s public services and the people who provide them. It is important for you to talk directly to your representatives to let them know that you are watching their job performance and will be holding them accountable.
Pay Raises SEANC will be advocating for a meaningful 5-percent pay increase for active state employees. It makes good business sense for legislators to provide a well-deserved raise to their workforce because non-competitive salaries cost the state nearly $300 million in turnover costs in 2012-13. A raise in this range would almost pay for itself by reducing voluntary turnover. We will also ask legislators to fully fund the annual required contribution for the retirement system at 9.16 percent, increase the retirement formula to 1.83 percent and give retirees a muchneeded cost-of-living adjustment of 2 percent. Privatization/Corporate Handouts As an organization we remain committed to opposing privatization efforts. We continue to hear rumblings about privatizing prison maintenance despite a report from the Department of Public Safety last May showing “no significant savings to be realized through the privatization of prison maintenance operations.” Moves to privatize state services to private companies often benefit only politicians and their political donors. The taxpayers always lose because the bottom line is that corporations are motivated by profit while state employees are motivated to help the state and its citizens.
Director’s Message By Dana Cope
SEANC Executive Director
We also oppose the transfer of public dollars to private businesses through corporate welfare. Giving away taxpayer dollars simply doesn’t create long-term jobs. Look at the recent $22 million giveaway to the Chiquita Corporation in Charlotte. Only three years after the state set aside money for them, the company may leave Charlotte. What is needed instead of corporate welfare is state infrastructure such as ports, the lack of which cost the state jobs when officials were attempting to woo Mercedes-Benz, and more workforce training provided by community colleges. Pension Transparency Also high on the priority list is the association’s effort to continue advocating for reforms and transparency in the state’s $90 billion pension system. The goal is to ensure that the fund is secure for current and future retirees. From unreported pension fees to a lack of available financial information, it’s simply a bad idea to have one person control the pension system, a pot of money four times the state budget. If 170 people in the legislature review $20 billion, surely a retirement system four times as large needs a system of checks and balances. The way things currently work, it’s SEANC who serves as the only true watchdog for the retirement system. Your Role So what’s your role in all of this? We need you to join your lobbyists in advocating for the vital public services you provide. Come with us to the General Assembly. We will help you schedule a meeting with your legislators. We will provide you with background information on our priorities. We will give you the most up-to-date news so you can have an informed and productive conversation. We will empower you to advocate for yourself. Hope to see you there! dcope@seanc.org, Twitter @danadcope