May 2018 • Vol. 36, Issue 4
THE
REPORTER
State Employees Association of North Carolina
Legislature returns for short session on May 16 Prison safety and pay raises are the top priorities for SEANC lobbyists as the 2018 N.C. General Assembly short session gavels in on May 16. As with every session, the state budget will be a major focus. SEANC will work to improve the lives of our members through increases in pay and benefits, and work to defeat attempted job cuts and privatization efforts. Following the deadliest year in North Carolina prison system history in 2017, with the deaths of five state employees in attacks at Bertie Correctional and Pasquotank Correctional, prison safety has moved to the front burner as well. A correctional professional is attacked in North Carolina every eight hours on average.
SEANC President Stanley Drewery created the SEANC Select Committee on Prison Reform, composed of members who work at the Department of Public Safety, to create a list of reforms our lobbyists will push in the session. In addition, Drewery serves on Gov. Roy Cooper’s Prison Reform Advisory Board, a group of stakeholders charged with finding solutions. The first bill aimed at increasing prison security passed through a joint oversight committee meeting in midApril after several correctional officers gave legislators a first-hand account of the dangers they face every day. The bill makes it a felony for any inmate to throw substances at an officer, and
changes the procedures for inmate grievances. With elections looming, the session may move quickly as legislators need to campaign. Because of this, it’s important that you stay informed and ready to take action should the need arise. Visit SEANC’s action page at seanc.org/engage to find your legislators’ contact information. You can contact them easily from that page with a few clicks. We will send members alerts via email and text when the time comes for action. Be sure to text “SEANC” to 787753 to enroll in our text messaging program, and pay attention to your emails. You can also keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter.
EMPAC endorses candidates for the 2018 primary EMPAC, the political arm of SEANC, recently announced its endorsement of nine candidates who face tough challenges in the upcoming May 8 primary election. Among those endorsed are Rep. Jonathan Jordan (R-Ashe), who stood up for retirees in the 2017 legislative session by filing a bill to give state retirees a much-needed 2-percent costof-living adjustment (COLA).
In This Issue 2 3 4-5 7 8
Members in Action EMPAC Endorsements Annual Meetings/Dental Plans Member Benefits Purchasing Power
The bill received bipartisan support in the House and built a foundation of support that resulted in the first true COLA in years in the state budget. Jordan also filed a bill to give equal pay raises to all state employees, as well as a bill to give a Christmas bonus to state employees. Sen. Shirley Randleman, a former state employee and longtime SEANC member, was endorsed because she has been a tireless advocate for state employees and retirees. She was named SEANC’s Legislator of the Year in 2014 for her fight to bring sunshine to investment fees paid by the state retirement system. EMPAC also endorsed Rep. Bob Steinburg, who is seeking to move to
the N.C. Senate representing 11 MA counties in Elect Y 8 ion D northeastern ay North Carolina. Steinburg led and elevated the conversation around prison reform following the deadliest year in the history of the state correctional system, when five state employees were killed. A strong supporter of working families, Rep. Steinburg cosponsored legislation in 2017 to raise wages, improve working conditions and enhance the benefits of state employees and teachers. For a complete list of endorsed primary candidates, turn to page 3.