Issuu

Bipartisan support for raises, COLAs ahead of state budget talks

The hard work of SEANC members and lobbyists has resulted in bipartisan support for true, meaningful pay raises for state employees and cost-of-living adjustments for retirees as the state budget debate continues to heat up.

SEANC worked with Rep. Chris Malone (R-Wake) to file House Bill 540, which would give a pay increase of $2,400 to all state employees and teachers with a base salary of less than $100,000 a year.

Three other Republicans, Reps. Jonathan Jordan (R-Ashe), John Bell (R-Craven) and John Hardister (R-Guilford), signed on as primary sponsors of the bill as well.

We appreciate Rep. Malone’s willingness to take a stand for state employees. It’s also encouraging that a third of Republican House members support it. Clearly, they recognize that state employees are hurting and have been left behind.

One-in-three state employees make less than $31,000 annually, and both active and retired employees have lost 10 percent of their buying power since 2010.

Equal pay raises the only way Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget proposal

gave state employees an $800 pay raise and $500 bonus while granting some teachers as much as a 10-percent increase.

An equal raise for all state employees — whether they work at our prisons, our schools, our hospitals or at any other state agency — is the only fair way to lift all boats. All state employees and teachers are going to be hit with higher premiums by the State Health Plan and face the same increases in the cost of goods and services daily. It’s only right that we should all receive the same raises.

Retiree COLA bills gain traction as well SEANC also worked with Rep. Jordan to file a bill for state retirees that has gained bipartisan support. House Bill 497 would grant a 2-percent cost-of-living adjustment for all state retirees this year. Reps. Malone, Pat Hurley (R-Randolph) and Larry Strickland (R-Johnston) signed on as primary sponsors for this bill, and 22 representatives from both sides of the aisle have signed on as secondary sponsors.

This bill is similar to Senate Bill 314 sponsored by Sen. Joyce Waddell (D-Mecklenburg) and co-sponsored by Sens. Don Davis (D-Pitt) and Erica Smith-Ingram (D-Northampton).

Jordan’s bill received a favorable report from the House Pensions

and Retirement Committee. SEANC Retiree Council Chairman Benny Brigman spoke out in support of the bill at that committee’s meeting, saying, “The promise of retirement benefits is one of the main reasons that brought us to state government service. So often we were working below the market value of our jobs because of the promise of a good retirement. Since I retired in 2003, I have seen the cost of everything go up and up and my pension check has only increased about 2 percent.”

State budget to decide fate of bills

Both the pay raise and the retiree COLA issues will be decided when the state budget is approved. The unoffi cial deadline for approval is July 1, when the new fi scal year starts. Neither the House nor the Senate has released their budget proposals as of press time.

SEANC continues to work with leaders in both to ensure that your voice is heard in the process.

MESSAGE

Why join SEANC?

by Tom Campbell, District 69

If you’re like me, you want to see SEANC grow by encouraging others to join. You are proud of our association’s history and excited about its future.

To turn that energy into action, share the positives below to recruit your coworkers and retirees.

SEANC's mission

First, I talk about the importance of SEANC’s mission. SEANC upholds and protects the wages and benefits of all government workers in our Old North State, particularly when legislators and some elected executive leaders have been bent on policies reducing government size and support.

SEANC victories

Then, I talk about victories. For instance, did you know last year SEANC defended and successfully preserved the 80/20 PPO option in the State Health Plan? This would have made all families and individuals under the plan pay 10 percent more for out of pocket costs and would have dramatically raised the

annual deductible, too.

SEANC is working hard this year to get active employees a real raise and retirees a true cost-of-living adjustment. Our efforts have already resulted in bills filed for both — with bipartisan support!

SEANC member benefits

Next, I talk about benefits. SEANC membership entitles you and your family to a host of additional services and discounts, including insurance programs like dental and vision, without the pressure of specific enrollment periods. I point members to seanc.org to explore the many options that can save us money on insurance, goods and services, hotel rooms, and tickets to many attractions. Strength in numbers

I also talk about strength in numbers. SEANC represents state employees before elected officials and government boards to safeguard our pensions and other benefits into the future, so we and our children and their children and grandchildren can see similar opportunities from public service for

MEMBERS IN ACTION

One member's recruiting pitch!

succeeding generations.

Currently, SEANC has around 50,000 members statewide. But with more than 180,000 state employees and hundreds of thousands of more retirees and workers in local government, the sky is the limit on how many members we could have.

SEANC needs you!

I finish by saying that SEANC needs you, just as you need SEANC!

SEANC needs your membership, your voice, and, if you’re willing, your active participation in a few events a year.

SEANC needs to hear your concerns and your ideas for solving issues affecting you and other government employees throughout our state.

So take the SEANC route through life. You’ll be glad you did!

District 24 member Grace Thompson (pink shirt) presented a District 24 donation to the officers of Columbus County Relay for Life at their April meeting.

Sen. Erica Smith-Ingram (D-Northampton) joins SEANC as District 56 members Raymond Vaughan, Michael Johnson and Percy Underdue look on.

District 65 gained seven new members during a membership drive on April 12 as part of the ECU Health Fitness Walk. Many applications were handed out in hopes more will join. Helping out during the drive and one of the new members that joined were (pictured from left to right) Annette Dixon, Debbie Austin, Cynthia Hart, District 65 Chairwoman Alicia Simpson, Tammy Heller, SEANC Organizational/ Political Strategist Amanda Finelli, SEANC Member Relations Representative La’Tuan Danns, Donna Poe and Lynn Tuthill.

State Health Plan premiums to increase, stabilize for next four years

In what SEANC Director of Operations Chuck Stone called “bitter medicine,” the State Health Plan Board of Trustees voted March 22 to impose a $25 premium on the 70/30 plan for active employees only, and a $50 premium on the 80/20 plan for active employees and early retirees. The changes are part of a package meant to stabilize the

plan for the next four years without further increases. Stone and SEANC Government Relations Director Ardis Watkins discussed these changes at length in videos on SEANC’s YouTube Channel. Please visit youtube.com/SEANCMedia to watch this and all other SEANC videos.

The State Health Plan changes include:

A premium of $25 for the PPO 70/30, which is currently premium-free, for active employees (does not apply to early retirees or Medicare eligible retirees).

An increase in premiums for the PPO 80/20 plan to $50 for active employees and early retirees. Premiums for this plan are already slated to increase to $24 next year.

The elimination of the Consumer-Driven Health Plan, which has proven to be too costly to benefit the plan or its members.

Lobby Day — March 29

SEANC members showed up in full force on March 29 to lobby legislators for better pay, health care and retirement benefits for state employees and retirees. The members spoke at length to many key legislators, and then packed the gallery of the House Chamber as session began.

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The elimination of so-called “wellness surcharges” pertaining to health risk assessment and designation of a personal care provider that were designed by previous leadership and penalized state employees and retirees. The tobacco attestation surcharge will remain in effect.

Freezing premiums for family coverage and potential subsidization of family coverage in the future (currently no assistance for spousal or dependent coverage).

The Reporter, USPS 009-852 (ISSN 1069 2142), is published six times a year in the months of February, April, May, July, September and November for $2.50 per year, per member, by the State Employees Association of North Carolina, Inc., 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh and additional offices. POSTMASTER, Send address changes to: THE REPORTER, 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609

SEANC accepts advertising material from companies and persons seeking to communicate with SEANC members. Acceptance of this advertising does not indicate SEANC approval or endorsement of any representation that the message, product or service is as represented by the advertiser. SEANC accepts no responsibility and shall not be liable for any use of or reliance on any such information, product or service. SEANC is a private entity and is under no obligation to carry advertisements of any nature, political or otherwise, that may be viewed as contrary to the interests of the association and its membership.

ANNUAL MEETINGS

Top 3 reasons to attend your district's annual meeting

Now is your chance to directly affect the association’s priorities and guiding principles for the coming year by bringing ideas and concerns to your district’s annual meeting before they are decided upon at convention. Here are three reasons to attend:

1. DETERMINE SEANC's DIRECTION

You are the best source for identifying opportunities to improve your workplace practices. Policy platform objectives and bylaws amendments are voted on at district-level annual meetings before being considered by a statewide committee, who then may pass them on to the convention for a vote.

Policy platform objectives decided

The policy platform objectives outline the procedures and goals that guide the association’s lobbying activities. They offer a way for us to bring our collective

How

recommendations to the attention of those with the authority to enact change — namely, the governor and the General Assembly.

Bylaws amendments decided

Bylaws keep SEANC moving forward. They define the purpose and internal structure of our organization. When you vote at your annual meeting, you are making a difference on the ground floor. Changes in bylaws begin at district level and must be approved by at least one district before they are brought to the state bylaws committee. If approved, they are presented at the annual convention to be voted on by all delegates.

Experts available to assist you

Chairpersons and policy platform and bylaws committee members are available at the meeting to assist you in developing your ideas into formal

amendments or objectives and in drafting revisions to existing policy.

2. DELEGATES, DISTRICT OFFICERS ELECTED

Delegates to the convention and district officers are chosen at annual meetings. In addition, candidates for SEANC's statewide officers will lay out their own visions for the coming year and ask for your support.

3. UPDATE ON ISSUES, GAIN NEW IDEAS

Representatives from the SEANC staff will provide an update on the legislative session, State Health Plan, retirement system, membership news and more.

Also, the district annual meeting gives you the opportunity to gain new ideas on ways to protect, enhance and advocate for your rights and benefits.

How SEANC's Policy Platform and Bylaws Amendments are Developed

The Process Begins

Members formulate ideas about policy and bylaws to present at district annual meetings.

Statewide Policy Platform & Bylaws Advisory Meetings

All 51 districts' policy platform and bylaws chairpersons meet to vote on policy and bylaws objectives approved at district annual meetings. Approved policy objectives and bylaws amendments are forwarded to convention delegates for a vote.

District Annual Meetings

Members present policy and bylaws ideas for a vote. Approved ideas are forwarded to the statewide policy platform and bylaws advisory meetings.

Convention

August

September

The week after Labor Day, more than 800 SEANG delegates debate and vote on policy objectives approved by the statewide Policy Platform Committee and bylaws amendments approved by the statewide Bylaws Committee. Those objectives that are approved by a majority vote become the association's policy platform in the General Assembly for the upcoming year. The Top Ten Policy Platform Objectives guide the association's lobbying activities. Bylaws amendments are approved by a majority vote, except Articles I, II, IV, V, XI and XIII, which require a two-thirds vote.

SEANC's Policy Platform Objectives and Bylaws Amendments are Developed

ANNUAL MEETINGS CALENDAR

1 June 19 6:00 pm Jackson County Senior Center, 100 County Services Park Sylva Y Mark Haskett haskett.mark@gmail.com

2 June 20 6:00 pm The Asiana Grand Buffet, 1968 Hendersonville Rd.

Y Cliff Johnson

clifford.johnson57@yahoo.com cindy.crawford@nccourts.org

3 June 27 6:00 pm Fairway Café (Boone Golf Club), 433 Fairway Dr. Boone Y Pat Reighard (828) 525-0777 reighardpb@gmail.com

4 July 11 6:00 pm Cleveland Co Cooperation Ext Service, 130 South Post Rd.

Y Tim Southard (704) 487-7296 rtntune@carolina.rr.com

5 May 25 5:30 pm AJ's Steakhouse, 101 Bost Rd. Morganton Y Tony Smith tonysmith646@gmail.com

6 June 13 6:00 pm Collett Street Recreation Center, 300 Collett St. Morganton Y Sonya Akbar akbarsonya@yahoo.com

7 June 8 5:30 pm Golden Corral, 685 W. Fleming Dr. Morganton Y Henry Belada woodchop7@charter.net

8 June 24 12:00 pm Brushy Mountain Smokehouse and Creamery, 201 Wilkesboro Ave. N. Wilkesboro Y Ron Hunt ronhunt852@embarqmail.com

9 June 15 6:30 pm The Leatherman's Private Residence, 4500 West NC 10 Hwy Newton Y

10 June 12 6:30 pm Golden Corral, 1540 US Highway 29 North

11 June 15 6:00 pm Anson Maintenance Office, 1017 Old Prison Camp Rd.

13 June

27 June 5 5:30 pm Kumara Restaurant, 3644 Durham-Chapel

28 June 14 4:30 pm George's Restaurant, 2555 Capitol Dr.

42 June 15 5:30 pm

Robinson (704) 929-6133 turkey10133@yahoo.com

Y Dennis Hartley hartleyjames2000@yahoo.com

(704) 695-5523 browersauto@windstream.net

(919) 524-2084 stacie.crabtree@ncdps.gov

■ Grievances / Just Cause

■ Exempt Designation

■ Health Care Registry

■ Whistleblower Cases

■ Dismissal Appeals

■ Law Enforcement Certiﬁcation

State employees are good people. But even good people make mistakesmistakes that violate your rights as a career employee, discriminate against you, or cost you a promotion or job.

My practice is restricted to state personnel disciplinary and licensing matters. I have litigated personnel cases in the Ofﬁce of Administrative Hearings since the 1990s.

If you have a grievance, disciplinary appeal, or any state employment matter, call (919) 865-2572 or email me at michael@mbyrnelawnc.com.

Learn how I put 20 years of experience and consistent success in state personnel cases to work for you - when your rights are on the line.

LAW OFFICES OF MICHAEL C. BYRNE

SEANC Scholarship Bowl-a-Thon

SEANC Scholarship Foundation Bowl-a-Thon & Silent Auction

Join the State Employees Association of North Carolina Scholarship Foundation as we host a bowl-a-thon to benefit our scholarship program.

Silent

Auction

WHERE: Buffaloe Lanes North 5900 Oak Forest Drive Raleigh, NC 27616

Saturday, July 22 1-3 p.m. or 3-5 p.m.

Buﬀaloe Lanes North 5900 Oak Forest Drive ● Raleigh, NC

WHEN: February 28 from 1-3 p.m. or 3-5 p.m.

HOW MUCH: $20 per person or $100 per team of six (shoes are included)

Proceeds from the event will be used to award thousands of dollars in educational scholarships to SEANC members, their spouses and their dependent children.

REGISTER: Complete a registration form today! Payments can be made via registration form online at www.seanc.org/bowl-a-thon with a credit card (Visa, Mastercard and Discover accepted) or checks made payable to SEANC Scholarship Foundation. Deadline to register is February 6.

Tickets: $20 per person or $100 per team of six To register, sponsor a lane or for more information visit seanc.org/seanc-bowl-a-thon

For more information contact Alicia Miller or Beth Dew at 800-222-2758.

1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609

Cooper issues Executive Order on SEANC access

Have you missed us? Because we have missed you!

Thanks to Executive Order 5, signed by Gov. Roy Cooper last month, you’ll likely be seeing more of SEANC at your worksite!

SEANC’s Executive Committee gathered at the N.C. Executive Mansion on March 23 to witness Gov. Roy Cooper sign the order, which will allow SEANC the access necessary to best represent the needs of state employees throughout state government.

The order rescinds Executive Order 84 signed by Gov. Pat McCrory in December 2015 that stripped the rights of SEANC members to meet with officials and department heads on matters of importance in the workplace. It also denied SEANC access to workers at many state facilities and denied delegates the ability to attend the annual SEANC Convention.

Gov. Cooper’s Executive Order 5 calls for reasonable access at all facilities for employee associations with at least 5,000 members. Further, it recommends that the UNC System, the community college system, the State Board of Education and the heads of each Council of State agency follow suit.

The order guarantees SEANC annual meetings with the governor and quarterly meetings with the State Human Resources Director and representatives of each executive branch agency. Also, officers and delegates to SEANC’s annual convention will be allowed three days of managerially approved leave.

“This increased cooperation between

management and employees can only result in positive outcomes for the state and the taxpayers,” said SEANC Executive Director Mitch Leonard.

“We look forward to working with Gov. Cooper’s administration to make sure more of the best and brightest choose careers in state service.”

Want SEANC to visit your worksite? Please visit seanc.org/visit or call 919-833-6436. And don’t worry, we will take care of the planning!