May 2017 Scoop

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Friday, May 5, 2017

DPS employees lay one of their own to rest

Law enforcement officers and DPS employees from all over the state gathered to pay respects Thursday as Sgt. Meggan Callahan was laid to rest in Edenton. Sgt. Callahan was a member of SEANC District 63. SEANC President Stanley Drewery, a retired DPS employee himself, attended the funeral, and said he “was really proud of my brothers and sisters coming from all over the state to honor one of our own.”

The Department of Public Safety reports that Sgt. Callahan was the first correctional officer to die in the line of duty in at least 40 years. But that doesn’t mean DPS employees don’t face dangers every day. The Charlotte Observer reports that a correctional officer is assaulted approximately once every eight hours in this state, and there were 1,160 assaults on prison staff in 2016.

“As a former DPS employee myself, I know the dangers facing our brave men and women in the Department of Public Safety firsthand,” Pres. Drewery said. “My heart goes out to the family, friends and coworkers of Sgt. Callahan. And to all the DPS employees in the state, know that SEANC has your back and is working for you!”

SEANC continues to collect donations for the Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund. All proceeds go to Sgt. Callahan's family. If you would like to contribute, click here. You can also mail checks, payable to SEANC with “Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund” in the memo line, to: SEANC Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609

Senate considers bill on retirement changes, will release budget next week

SEANC spoke out this week against an attempt to weaken the state retirement system by moving all new hires to a 401k plan and doing away with retiree health care coverage for anyone hired after July 1, 2018.

Sold as an attempt to deal with the unfunded liabilities facing the retirement system and State Health Plan, Senate Bill 467 would essentially start the process of eliminating the Defined Benefit plan favor of a Defined Contribution plan.

With SEANC retirees in full force in the audience at Wednesday’s Senate Pensions and Retirement Committee meeting (it just so happened to be Retiree Lobby Day!), the leaders decided not to hold a vote on the bill.

Click here to watch this week’s Legislative Update, where SEANC Government Relations Director Ardis Watkins and Retiree Council Chairman Benny Brigman lay out the issue in more detail.

The Senate is expected to release its budget next week and push it quickly through to a vote. Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) told The Associated Press Thursday that he expects to unveil the spending plan on Monday or Tuesday, with votes on the floor by Thursday.

Click here to read more in this week’s Legislative Update.

Win $500 by switching to bank draft!

With Senate Bill 375 passing through the Senate, your right to have dues, insurance premiums and other payments directly deducted from your paycheck are under direct attack. Now is the time for members to switch to bank draft to avoid lapses in insurance coverage and membership.

If you haven't already, please visit https://apo.seanc.org now to switch from payroll deduction to bank draft. The process is simple and puts you in control of your life and your voice.

As an added incentive, anyone who has made the switch to bank draft by June 30 will be entered into a drawing for $500! If you have already made the switch you are entered.

Weekly drawings for smaller prizes will be held as well.

Make the switch now at https://apo.seanc.org!

Next week is State Employee Recognition Week!

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed Wednesday, May 10, as State Employee Appreciation Day! In fact, he has gone one step further and is recognizing the entire week of May 7-13 as State Employee Recognition Week! You can read more about it in the Office of State Human Resources’ newsletter here.

SEANC understands and appreciates the hard work and tireless sacrifices you make each day to make this state great. Thank you for dedicating your lives and careers to North Carolina!

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Friday, May 12, 2017

Senate passes budget with small raises, no COLA for retirees

The N.C. Senate voted earlier this morning to approve its budget proposal, which turns a blind eye to the needs of state employees and retirees in favor of tax cuts for the rich and corporations.

The budget includes a pay raise of $750 or 1.5-percent of salary, whichever is greater, for state employees. Anyone making less than $50,000 will receive just $750 – around $62.50 per paycheck before taxes. It doesn’t include a cost-of-living adjustment or onetime bonus for retirees at all.

Pay for state employees and cost-of-living adjustments for retirees were the major focuses of criticisms for the budget among media members. SEANC’s Ardis Watkins even found support in an interview on conservative talk radio when she went on WPTF-680 AM’s “You Don’t Say” with Rick and Donna Martinez.

Rick Martinez, who worked in Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration, called the senate’s raises “chintzy” and agreed that all state employees should be treated equally regardless of whether they are teachers, correctional officers or work on our roads and in our hospitals. You can hear Watkins’ interview by clicking here. Her segment starts around 24 minutes in and continues to the end.

It's important to note that the Senate's budget proposal is simply another step in the annual budget process. The state budget process now moves to the N.C. House, where we feel confident that we can work representatives to properly recognize the hard work

and sacrifices of state employees and retirees with meaningful raises and COLAs. Click here to read this week’s Legislative Update.

Correctional officers should get the same benefits as law enforcement The recent death of Sgt. Meggan Callahan, a DPS employee and SEANC member who was killed by an inmate at Bertie Correctional Institution on April 26, has called attention to the dangers facing the people who work in our prisons every day. Attacks on officers are routine in N.C. prisons and yet officers do not receive the same benefits as law enforcement officers.

SEANC says Enough is Enough!

The Charlotte Observer reports that a correctional officer is assaulted approximately once every eight hours in this state, and there were 1,160 assaults on prison staff in 2016. Just this week another assault resulted in serious injury at Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury.

All aspects of law enforcement are dangerous. But arguably, no one is at greater risk than correctional officers. Literally, every second of their work day is spent having to "watch their back."

Correctional officers are the bravest of the brave, dealing not with suspected criminals but convicted criminals for an entire 12-hour shift. Often one correctional officer can be assigned as many as 80 inmates. And the only thing that officer has to defend his or herself is a can of mace. Worse yet, some of these inmates (such as the one who attacked Sgt. Callahan) are serving life sentences for violent crimes and have literally nothing to lose by harming an officer.

SEANC is pressing lawmakers to support granting the exact same full benefits to correctional officers that are guaranteed by statute to officers with full arrest powers.

This would provide eligibility for certain disability and death benefits, and allow them to retire earlier. This should have been done years ago but now is the time to do it and show that Sgt. Callahan's death is not just swept under the rug and ignored. And that

Enough is Enough!

We also continue to collect donations for the Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund. All proceeds go to Sgt. Callahan's family. If you would like to contribute, click here. You can also mail checks, payable to SEANC with “Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund” in the memo line, to: SEANC Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609

SEANC Scholarship Foundation Bowl-a-Thon on July 22

Love to bowl or just want to support the SEANC Scholarship Foundation? Join us for the annual SEANC Scholarship Bowl-a-Thon on July 22 at Buffaloe Lanes North in Raleigh from 1-3 p.m or 3-5 pm. There will also be a silent auction with tickets to the NC Aquarium, Carolina Mudcats, Ripley’s Aquarium, theme parks, gift baskets and much more!

Register to bowl at https://www.seanc.org/seanc-bowl-a-thon or just come out to enjoy the event and support the Scholarship Foundation! Every member of the family can bowl, and the registration fee is $20 for an individual or $100 for a team (up to 6 bowlers) to play or sponsor a lane for $300. Proceeds will go towards educational scholarships for SEANC members and their dependents.

Questions? Email Carri Derrick.

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Go to www.seanc.org/insurance/identity-theft for more information.

Experience All The Action!

The Coca-Cola 600 is starting their engines on May 28, 2017. Receive 30% off of grandstand tickets and 20% off of pre-race pit passes. Just go to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/jk Nothing like being there in person!

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Friday, May 19, 2017

Speak up now for pay raises, COLAs! House budget may be released next week Now that the Senate budget, as bad as it may be, has been approved, it’s the House’s turn. Indications are that House leaders want to release the proposal by Memorial Day, which means there is no time to waste.

NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES! House leaders may release the budget as early as Tuesday or Wednesday, and they need know that the Senate proposal, with no cost-of-living adjustment for retirees and measly $750 raise for employees, won’t cut it, especially when they are sitting on a $580 million surplus!

SEANC’s Ardis Watkins was on Spectrum News’ Capital Tonight television show this week to talk about the need for raises and COLAs for retirees. Click here to watch her segment, starting at 17-minute mark, before you make your call!

Then, when you are ready, click below to head over to our Engage tool, where you will be prompted to call your specific representative based on your address. Engage will also provide you with talking points to help you have a productive conversation. If you don’t get an answer, leave a message! We can make sure House members return from their weekend to full voice mailboxes!

Click here to call your representative

Correctional officers should get the same benefits as law enforcement Beyond pay raises and COLAs, you should also ask representatives to consider making certified correctional officers eligible for law enforcement benefits, which can be done as part of the budget.

The recent death of Sgt. Meggan Callahan, a DPS employee and SEANC member who was killed by an inmate at Bertie Correctional Institution on April 26, has called attention to the dangers facing the people who work in our prisons every day.

The Charlotte Observer reports that a correctional officer is assaulted approximately once every eight hours in this state, and there were 1,160 assaults on prison staff in 2016.

Correctional officers are the bravest of the brave, dealing not with suspected criminals, but convicted criminals for an entire 12-hour shift. Often one correctional officer can be assigned to as many as 80 inmates. And the only thing that officer has to defend his or herself is a can of mace. Worse yet, some of these inmates (such as the one who attacked Sgt. Callahan) are serving life sentences for violent crimes and have literally nothing to lose by harming an officer.

Ask your representative to support granting the exact same full benefits to correctional officers that are guaranteed by statute to officers with full arrest powers. This would provide eligibility for certain disability and death benefits, and allow them to retire earlier. This should have been done years ago, but now is the time to do it and show that Sgt. Callahan's death is not just swept under the rug and ignored. And that enough is Enough!

We also continue to collect donations for the Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund. All proceeds go to Sgt. Callahan's family. If you would like to contribute, click here. You can also mail checks, payable to SEANC with “Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund� in the memo line, to: SEANC Sgt. Callahan Memorial Fund 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609

Win $500 by switching to bank draft!

With Senate Bill 375 passing through the Senate, your right to have dues, insurance premiums and other payments directly deducted from your paycheck are under direct attack. Now is the time for members to switch to bank draft to avoid lapses in insurance coverage and membership.

If you haven't already, please visit https://apo.seanc.org now to switch from payroll deduction to bank draft. The process is simple and puts you in control of your life and your voice.

As an added incentive, anyone who has made the switch to bank draft by June 30 will be

entered into a drawing for $500! If you have already made the switch you are entered.

Weekly drawings for smaller prizes will be held as well.

Make the switch now at https://apo.seanc.org

Come to Work for SEANC! Are you good with people, love the association and want to see it grow? Here’s your chance to turn your passion for SEANC into a full-time job! SEANC is currently looking for a full-time Member Relations Representative for eastern North Carolina. The job involves visiting worksites and agencies all over the east to spread SEANC’s message and recruit new members, attending and working district meetings and our annual convention, staying informed on what is going on at the General Assembly, and a whole lot more!

SEANC offers a competitive salary and benefits. If you’re up to the challenge, submit a cover letter and resume to Jobs036@seanc.org. A complete job description can be found here.

SEANC Scholarship Foundation Bowl-a-Thon on July 22

Love to bowl or just want to support the SEANC Scholarship Foundation? Join us for the annual SEANC Scholarship Bowl-a-Thon on July 22 at Buffaloe Lanes North in Raleigh from 1-3 p.m or 3-5 pm. There will also be a silent auction with tickets to the NC Aquarium, Carolina Mudcats, Ripley’s Aquarium, theme parks, gift baskets and much more!

Register to bowl at https://www.seanc.org/seanc-bowl-a-thon or just come out to enjoy the event and support the Scholarship Foundation! Every member of the family can bowl, and the registration fee is $20 for an individual or $100 for a team (up to 6 bowlers) to play or sponsor a lane for $300. Proceeds will go towards educational scholarships for SEANC members and their dependents.

Questions? Email Carri Derrick.

InfoArmor Identity Theft Protection InfoArmor proactively protects against identity theft, that impacts millions of Americans each year. It also includes credit monitoring for free! By detecting fraud at the source, InfoArmor’s PrivacyArmor benefit will minimize damages and better protect you from the fastest-growing crime in America.

Go to www.seanc.org/insurance/identity-theft for more information.

Experience All The Action!

The Coca-Cola 600 is starting their engines on May 28, 2017. Receive 30% off of grandstand tickets and 20% off of pre-race pit passes. Just go to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/jk Nothing like being there in person!

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Friday, May 26, 2017

House budget yet to be released Pay raise, COLA information expected next Tuesday The House released small parts of its budget plan this week in committees but will wait until next Tuesday to announce the full proposal. No word has been given on pay raises for state employees or cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirees.

NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES! House leaders need to know that the Senate proposal, with no cost-of-living adjustment for retirees and measly $750 raise for employees, won’t cut it, especially when they are sitting on a $580 million surplus!

Tell your representative to vote “NO” to any budget that treats public employees unequally as well. State employees and teachers are all state employees and have all fallen behind the cost of living as raises were small for years despite big budget surpluses. Only a budget with a lump sum across the board pay raise would reward every state employee and EVERY teacher.

Click below to head over to our Engage tool, where you will be prompted to call your specific representative based on your address. Engage will also provide you with talking points to help you have a productive conversation. If you don’t get an answer, leave a message! We can make sure House members return from their weekend to full voice

mailboxes!

Click here to call your representative

Judge sides with retirees in Lake Lawsuit A trial judge has issued a ruling in the so-called “Lake Lawsuit” ordering the state to reimburse retirees for premium payments they made to retain the PPOO 80/20 plan and offer that plan as it existed in 2011 premium-free for the rest of their lives.

The state should honor the promise it made to these retirees, but remember that it comes at a cost, estimated at more than $100 million by state Treasurer Dale Folwell.

This will lessen the funds available for COLAs and pay raises.

State employees and retirees did not make this mess and they shouldn’t have to clean it up. We should not be penalized because state leaders made a mistake. There are ways for the state to save enough money, by curtailing overpayments and sweetheart deals with businesses with whom it contracts, for example, to pay for this promise.

The state is likely to appeal this decision, so the reimbursements will not be paid anytime soon.

SEANC presents funds to fallen correcional officer's family SEANC President Stanley Drewery presented Wendy Callahan, the mother of the late Sgt. Meggan Callahan, with a check from donations to the fund SEANC set up in honor of her daughter, at last weekend’s Board of Governors meeting.

Sgt. Meggan Callahan, 29, was killed in an attack by an inmate at Bertie Correctional Institution on April 26. The Charlotte Observer reported this week that Bertie, like most prisons in this state, was grossly understaffed at the time of her death. She was a

member of SEANC’s District 63.

SEANC collected more than $4,000 from individual member donations and SEANC districts all over the state. All proceeds collected were given to her family.

In accepting the check, Callahan’s mother said Meggan “loved her job and she was very good at her job. She was a leader and she trained people well. We are very proud as a family of what Meggan did.”

In an interview with The Charlotte Observer, Wendy Callahan described her daughter as a "funny person" who loved playing pranks and making people laugh.

Her one request to come out of her daughter's death: Please hire more officers and improve their training.

A former DPS employee himself, Drewery said he knew first-hand the dangers facing correctional officers each day. A correctional officer is assaulted every eight hours in North Carolina.

“We just wanted to show our support as a SEANC family,” said Drewery at the presentation. “I know we cannot give her enough to bring her daughter back, but we want to give her love and show her support for the sacrifices her daughter made for each and every one of us.”

SEANC is leading the charge of lobbying legislators to afford certified correctional officers the same benefits as law enforcement officers, including early retirement and better disability and death benefits.

Change your plan, win a grand!

With Senate Bill 375 passing, SEANC is asking all members to consider switching over to bank draft, where payments are pulled from members’ bank accounts each month instead of paychecks.

SEANC has launched a contest to incentivize members to make the switch!

SEANC will give away 25 prizes of $1,000 to randomly selected members who have made the switch to bank draft or annual pay by the SEANC Convention. Five winners will be selected from each region. Anyone who has switched to bank draft or annual pay by

convention will be entered into the drawing. The 25 winners will be selected at the convention on stage.

Additionally, everyone who makes the switch by July 1 will be entered into a drawing for $500!

If you haven’t already, please visit apo.seanc.org to switch over to bank draft today!

State Health Plan conducting audit of dependent coverage eligibility As part of an ongoing efforto to provide stability and predictability, the State Health Plan is conducting an audit to verify eligibility of dependents covered.

This audit will focus on all plan members with dependents under the age of 75 as of April 19, 2017. Members will receive a letter by the end of May, with a request to provide documentation of their dependents which will need to be provided by July 31, 2017.

Failure to respond and produce the required documentation will result in termination of dependents’ coverage under the Plan effective August 1, 2017.

Click here to learn more about the required documents necessary keep your dependents covered.

SEANC distributes $22,000 in hurricane relief to members!

SEANC announced this week that it had distributed more than $22,000 in relief grants to 61 members and their families who suffered losses as a result of Hurricane Matthew’s landfall last fall.

The funds were raised solely from generous contributions from individual members, SEANC districts, and members of other locals of Service Employees International Union, SEANC’s national affiliate.

Members submitted an application for a grant from SEANC, then a committee of

members evaluated each and distributed funds according to need. Awards ranged from $100-$500 each.

Recipients live in areas all over eastern North Carolina, including Wilson, Goldsboro, New Bern, Greenville, Kinston, Fayetteville and Lumberton.

“We are grateful to have generous members who are willing to help our brothers and sisters in this time of need,” said SEANC President Stanley Drewery, who resides in Eastern N.C. “Hurricane Matthew devastated much of the east, but it did not break our spirit.”

Come to Work for SEANC! Are you good with people, love the association and want to see it grow? Here’s your chance to turn your passion for SEANC into a full-time job! SEANC is currently looking for a full-time Member Relations Representative for eastern North Carolina. The job involves visiting worksites and agencies all over the east to spread SEANC’s message and recruit new members, attending and working district meetings and our annual convention, staying informed on what is going on at the General Assembly, and a whole lot more!

SEANC offers a competitive salary and benefits. If you’re up to the challenge, submit a cover letter and resume to Jobs036@seanc.org. A complete job description can be found here.

Gift card winners announced Last month before the Senate released its budget, we asked members to send in their stories on why they needed a pay raise or cost-of-living adjustment. We were thrilled to get more than 700 responses! Thank you to all members who participated.

As part of that request, we said each person who submitted a story would be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card. Because of the overwhelming participation, we decided to give away two $50 cards! The winners were randomly selected.

Congratulations to our winners, Katrina Arangala of District 45 and Sandra Worthey of District 13!

SEANC Scholarship Foundation Bowl-a-Thon on July 22

Love to bowl or just want to support the SEANC Scholarship Foundation? Join us for the annual SEANC Scholarship Bowl-a-Thon on July 22 at Buffaloe Lanes North in Raleigh from 1-3 p.m or 3-5 pm. There will also be a silent auction with tickets to the NC Aquarium, Carolina Mudcats, Ripley’s Aquarium, theme parks, gift baskets and much more!

Register to bowl at https://www.seanc.org/seanc-bowl-a-thon or just come out to enjoy the event and support the Scholarship Foundation! Every member of the family can bowl, and the registration fee is $20 for an individual or $100 for a team (up to 6 bowlers) to play or sponsor a lane for $300. Proceeds will go towards educational scholarships for SEANC members and their dependents.

Questions? Email Carri Derrick.

Accidental Death and Dismemberment Accidental Death and Dismemberment (CIGNA underwritten by Life Insurance Company of North America) SEANC members receive a $1,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment policy for joining the association!

Members can purchase additional coverage from $25,000 to $500,000 at competitive rates. Plan includes Travel Assistance Service, Keeping coverage with no age reduction and Dependent coverage is available.

PerksConnect is an exciting platform that allows members to access everyday deals from merchants in their neighborhood and across the country! You’ll enjoy saving every time you visit PerksConnect participating merchants.

Going on a trip? Log onto www.seanc.org/discounts, click on the Perksconnect link and get started today!

Discount in Western North Carolina Wanting to get fit for the summer and live a healthier life style? Contact Appalachian Fitness Center at 828/264-1227 for one free visit and 15% off regular membership rates.

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