July 2018 • Vol. 36, Issue 5
THE
REPORTER
State Employees Association of North Carolina
Legislature approves pay raises, bonuses The House and Senate passed a state budget in early June that includes 2 percent pay raises for most state employees, five extra days of leave and a 1 percent bonus for retirees. Correctional personnel will receive 4 percent as well as differential pay when working at a custody level higher than the one to which they are assigned. The line-of-duty death benefit also doubled to $100,000. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the budget, objecting to the speedy process legislators used to pass it, and the House and Senate both voted to override his veto. The pay raises will take effect July 1, and retirees should receive the bonus in their October checks.
'Life changing money'
Perhaps the most newsworthy provision of the budget for state employees sets the minimum pay for workers covered by the State Human Resources Act at $31,200, or $15 an hour. Raising the minimum salary to $31,200 is a huge win for SEANC members. Some workers will get up to a 28 percent increase because of this move. North Carolina is the first state to enact this standard in the nation. “This is life-changing money for
In This Issue 2 3 4-5 8
Executive Director's Message Public Policy Members in Action Member Benefits
some workers,” said SEANC Executive Director Robert Broome. “State employees shouldn’t have to choose between food and medicine each month. It is a necessary step to ensure that working for the state is not a pathway to poverty.”
SEANC a major player in discussions
Legislative leaders and the Cooper administration painted a grim picture for state employees earlier this year, telling SEANC to expect a modest bonus instead of a base pay increase and nothing for retirees. However, at SEANC’s urging, Gov. Roy Cooper used his budget proposal to call for the largest investment in state employees and retirees in a decade. The governor’s proposal, coupled with grassroots action by SEANC members, led House and Senate leaders to invite SEANC to the table to discuss our members’ priorities and as a result, changed their tune. In the final hours of negotiations, House and Senate budget writers invited SEANC leaders into the room and heard our concerns. The next day, Broome joined legislators at a press conference to announce a plan that raises pay for every state employee, puts more money in retirees’ pockets, addresses critical pay issues for everyone working in a correctional institution and establishes a $15/hour minimum wage for state employees.
THE BUDGET BY THE
NUMBERS
1
st
North Carolina will be the first state to pay a $15 minimum wage to state employees.
$31,200 2% raises Minimum state salary increased to
At least
for most state employees.
for all permanent employees covered by the State Human Resources Act.
3700+ 4% raises
emails sent by SEANC members to state legislators.
5
bonus days
of leave for all state employees.
$100K
death benefit
for all correctional personnel. Increased from $50,000 to $100,000. Will be retroactive for 2017.
DIFFERENTIAL PAY for correctional officers who are asked to work at a higher custody level.
8%
raise
for the average State Highway Patrol officer.
for all correctional personnel.
$15 million 1% retiree bonus 100% funding for prison safety upgrades and equipment.
of the retirement system.
$20 million to the UNC System for salary increases.
Your voices were heard!
Thank you to the thousands of SEANC members who wrote, called or met with your lawmakers! Your voice was heard. Without you, these negotiations would not have gone from a one-time bonus to a real wage increase for everyone. SEANC members made their voices known through emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings at the General Assembly. Every legislator in the General Assembly received at least one email on the budget from a SEANC member, and more than 3,700 emails were sent.