SEANC standing up for UNC System employees
SEANC is the only organization standing up for UNC System employees against House Bill 243. This bill gives UNC System President the authority to implement temporary salary cuts for employees to offset budget shortfalls or other reductions in revenue at any of the UNC campuses. The bill does not limit the use of pay cuts to only COVIDrelated situations.
The bill passed the Senate with amendments that would raise the threshold of salary affected to $65,000 and above and limit the cut to 10% of salary rather than 20%. The House voted not to concur with those changes, meaning a
conference committee will hash out the discrepancies.
SEANC District 25 Chairman James Holman spelled out SEANC’s concerns about the bill in a letter to the editor of The Daily Tar Heel on April 21.
Ironically, at a meeting in late April the UNC Board of Governors discussed an incentives plan that could result in 20% bonuses for chancellors. Some of these chancellors make more than $600,000 a year already, yet the system is telling legislators it needs to cut employee salaries to deal with a budget crunch!
The state has a $4 billion revenue
surplus this year and more federal relief funding coming that can be used to offset budget problems. The system should manage its budget and the General Assembly should properly fund the System.
The UNC System may see an exodus of faculty with the threat of a pay cut looming overhead. University employees were left out of pay increases from the last biennium budget stalemate. The threat of pay cuts adds insult to injury.
SEANC will not relent until this provision is removed from the bill. After a year on the front lines of the pandemic, UNC employees cannot afford a pay cut and should not have to.
Personnel records bill amended, problems remain
SEANC successfully lobbied to amend parts of a Senate bill that would have violated state employees’ Constitutional rights to due process pertaining to personnel records.
Advocates of Senate Bill 355, led by the North Carolina Press Association, hoped to open state employee personnel records, including parts that may contain false allegations, to unnecessary public scrutiny.
In its original form, Senate Bill 355 would have allowed anyone full access to a state employee’s personnel file including any comments from supervisors about disciplinary actions that may not be true.
This would have been a violation of employees’ constitutional rights.
Employees have the right to due process when accused of a violation. Opening personnel files to the public would create a vulnerability for employees who may be in the middle of a grievance or appeal.
“This comes down to Constitutional rights,” SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins told the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 27.
“In this case, the government is the employer. You can’t legislate your way around it.”
SEANC successfully fought to amend the parts of the bill that would have violated state employees’ constitutional rights before it passed the Senate on May 11.
On the surface, this bill seems well-
intentioned. We applaud efforts at transparency and openness in state government where and when it is needed and beneficial to the public good.
This bill still contains problems, though. The burden of proof is on the employees to prove that they are innocent of false claims prior to publication. And a general description of any personnel action could be written in the personnel record in a salacious manner and would be subjective at best.
Bills like this one have come up several times over the years, including an effort in 1997 and another in 2011. SEANC will continue to oppose it in the House.
Fight continues for SHP transparency bill
State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s efforts to bring transparency to the State Health Plan is once again meeting opposition from big hospital conglomerates and insurers.
House Bill 169 gives Folwell and his staff much-needed access to costs paid to providers by the State Health Plan, and is a step in the right direction toward lower health care costs for state employees, retirees, and taxpayers.
Unfortunately, the hospitals and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC), which administrates the Plan, are siding against state employees
and retirees in the fight for lower health care costs.
SEANC believes that because the State Health Plan is funded by tax dollars, it is important to all North Carolinians that the Plan be able to use its own data to negotiate rates, fees, and charges. Currently, this is not possible without permission from BCBSNC, who are unwilling to allow it.
Insurance companies and providers are lining up to oppose the bill because they want to keep what you’re paying for procedures a secret.
Bringing Humana to You webinar events
State Health Plan Humana Medicare Advantage Plan Members, please join Humana for a Bringing Humana to You (BH2U) webinar event! These online meetings will be held May – June and will help you learn more about your Humana Medicare Advantage PPO plan.
Humana representatives will share information about various educational topics, how to get involved in activities, and a deeper dive into Humana resources.
Information about these events is available on the custom Humana State Health Plan website: our.humana.com/ncshp/additional-information
You may also register today for one of the webinars at: huma.na/BH2U
After registering for a webinar, you will receive a registration confirmation email with instructions on how to log into the webinar on the day of the event.
If you have questions about your Humana Medicare Advantage PPO Plan, please call the dedicated North Carolina State Health Plan Humana Group Medicare Customer Care team at 1-888-700-2263 (TTY: 711), Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. ET.
It is unacceptable that state employees aren’t allowed to know what we are paying for health care. This is responsible, common-sense legislation. As of presstime, the bill had yet to pass the House. Watch SEANC’s social media outlets and look for a full update in the next edition of The Reporter.
2021 RETIREE PAY DATES
Date retirement payment is issued.
(Date payment is direct deposited or date a check is mailed).
May 25
June 25
July 23
August 25
September 24
October 25
November 24
December 22
Contact N.C. Retirement Systems at 877-627-3287 with address updates, questions about your retirement check, or deductions.
Dale R. Folwell, CPA State Treasurer
ANNUAL MEETINGS CALENDAR
District
1 June 22 6:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Jim Rowell jrowell20@gmail.com
2 June 10 6:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Cliff Johnson clifford.johnson57@yahoo.com
3 June 22 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Janice Smith janicesmith546@gmail.com
4 May 25 6:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting Caroline Dedmon lcd2328150@gmail.com
5 May 14 5:30 p.m. Catawba Meadows, 701 Sanford Dr. Morganton Y Tony Smith (828) 448-0384
6 June 8 TBD TBD Sonya Akbar akbarsonya@yahoo.com
7 June 3 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Henry Belada (828) 413-0427
8 June 17 6:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting Michael Jenkins jenkins_65@hotmail.com
9 TBD Jamie Robinson turkey10133@yahoo.com
10 June 7 7:00 p.m. Golden Corral, 1540 US 29 Hwy Concord Y Tonia Warnic royalteeisme@gmail.com
11 May 20 6:30 p.m. Anson Bridge Department, 1015 Old Prison Camp Rd. Polkton Y Jamie Bennett jfbennettsr@gmail.com
12 Chenell Rose chenellr@gmail.com
13 June 8 6:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Mary Clark seancdistrict13@gmail.com
16 June 15 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Willie Bailey baileyw620@triad.rr.com
17 June 21 6:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Kemrey LaMarr (336) 697-8724
18 June 14 6:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Lisa Martin lisa.martin@ncdps.gov
19 June 15 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Angela Lyght aslyght@gmail.com
20 June 21 7:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Jacque Chatman (910) 624-6134
21 June 17 6:00 p.m. Union Chapel Baptist Church (Fellowship Hall), 901 E. F St. Butner Y Virginia Lindsey vdlstar10@hotmail.com
22 Deborah Harney deborahharney@ymail.com
23 June 2 7:00 p.m. Dale's Seafood, 107 S JK Powell Blvd. Whiteville Y Jeremy Register jgr74@ymail.com
24 July 15 Lennetta Singletary lennetta.singletary@gmail.com
25 July 13 5:30 p.m. TBD James Holman jbholman1@outlook.com
26 TBD Charles Sanders cdssanders@gmail.com
27 June 29 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Janet Bunch jbunch4@frontier.com
28 June 23 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N DuBoris Peterkin duboris.peterkin@yahoo.com
37 July 8 7:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Furman Beckwith fbeck5304@hotmail.com
38 June 28 6:00p.m. Carolina BBQ, 733 Hwy 70 W Garner Y Betty Jackson (919) 580-5810
39 June 8 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Brian Swiger bwswiger@yahoo.com
40 June 10 6:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting Vernice Whyms vawhyms@aol.com
41 June 14 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Emily Jones emdokay@aol.com
42 June 17 7:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting Mamie Harris (919)-815-2447
43 June 8 6:00 p.m. TBD Brenda Johnson bjohnson2179@gmail.com
44 June 8 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting - Will provide link later N Brenda Williams brendaw674@gmail.com
45 TBD Zoom Meeting N John Williams williams911@outlook.com
46 Regina Norman rwnorman22@gmail.com
56 Michael Johnson (252) 642-3082
57 Drew Stanley drew.stanley@suddenlink.net
58 June 8 6:00 p.m. Neuse Correctional Training Bldg. Goldsboro Y Chuck Stone otherchuckstone@aol.com
59 June 7 5:30 p.m. TBD ? Kathy Merritt (919) 738-8729
60 June 7 5:30 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Debi Artis debi.artis@dhhs.nc.gov
61 June 11 6:00 p.m. Country Squire, 748 NC-50 Kenansville Y Cindy Hester cindy.hester1971@gmail.com
62 June 21 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Laura Overstreet church237@gmail.com
63 May 25 6:00 p.m. The Heritage House Restaurant, 1303 S. King St. Windsor Y Marion Drake (252) 325-2387
64 June 10 6:00 p.m. Greenville Country Club, 216 Country Club Dr. Greenville Y Latina Shelley latinashelley@gmail.com
65 June 15 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Cynthia Hart chartcast@gmail.com
66 TBD Kinston Y Evelyn Brown 919-738-7205
67 May 18 6:30 p.m. Moore's BBQ, 3621 Dr. M.L.K. Jr. Blvd New Bern Y Patricia Moore pmoore54@yahoo.com
68 May 27 6:30 p.m. Golden Skilet Restaurant, 167 US 64 West Plymouth Y Rita Woods (252) 394-6244
69 June 24 6:00 p.m. Zoom Meeting N Joyce Shaw seancd69@outlook.com
70 Ernest Fleming ernestfleming@yahoo.com
MEMBERS IN ACTION
District 7 donated 1,000 more ear protector straps and Heroes signs to J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center (JIRDC) staff in March. JIRDC staff will give out straps and place the signs at the testing and screening stations. District 7 members appreciate District 2 members for their assistance with this order. Pictured are SEANC members Summer Nixon-Snell, District 7 Chair Henry Belada, Scott McMahan, and Alicia Lorenzo Wilson.
District 62 members delivered appreciation gifts in March to employees at the Department of Transportation’s Division 3 office, the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, New Hanover Correctional Institution, the Fort Fisher and Southport Ferry offices, and Williston Middle School. They also delivered lunch in April to the state employees at the USS North Carolina battleship in Wilmington.
PAIGE PITTS
District 58 and SEANC staff delivered more than 1,200 goodie bags in March to worksites including Neuse Correctional in Goldsboro and Greene, Eastern, and Maury Correctional Institutions in Greene County.
District 1 Membership Chair Mark Haskett delivered snacks and appreciation bags to the Swain County DOT and Macon County Clerk of Court. Pictured at right is District 1 member Vic Perry.
JOHNNY DAVISON
District 9 Chair Jamie Robinson, Amy Robinson, and James Burgess delivered 500 goodie bags to Alexander Correctional in April.
ROAD ON THE
The SEANC Member Relations Team is back on the road and helped the District 21 members host their first event in Butner since the pandemic began! On April 28, SEANC members welcomed state employees and retirees at the gazebo near the R.J. Blackley Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center (ADATC) and the Murdoch Developmental Center.
If you would like to plan a SEANC event at your workplace, contact lcote@seanc.org
District 21 Chair Virginia Lindsey brought the snacks for the event.
Executive Director Ardis Watkins and District 21 Chair Virginia Lindsey enjoyed the beautiful day at our event at the gazebo.
District 21 William Puryear set up the Spin the Wheel table.
Murdoch Center employee Bobby Autry signed up to be a SEANC member.
If
Enroll at our main campus in a seated program or in a 100% online program
This benefit allows members to enroll at UMO in any of our undergraduate or graduate level programs and receive a tuition scholarship to help with the overall cost of attendance. APPLICATION FEES WILL BE
Enroll in 12 credit hours per semester at the undergraduate level or 9 credit hours at the graduate level
Find a complete list of degree options at WWW.UMO.EDU/DEGREES
Apply for admission at WWW.UMO.EDU/APPLY
In this time of work-from-home measures, SEANC understands it is hard to celebrate retiring employees. We would like to help by recognizing any member who has retired during the crisis. If you or a coworker retired during the crisis, we want to know! Go to seanc.org/recentlyretired. Complete the form and give us some details. We will recognize your years of service on our social media platforms!
