THE
State Employees Association of North Carolina, SEIU Local 2008 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609 • www.seanc.org 800-222-2758 • 919-833-6436 • Circulation 55,000
May 2014
• Vol. 32, Issue 6
Pay Raises Top General Assembly Session Agenda By Toni Davis SEANC Director of Communications
Teacher pay raises, teacher pay raises and more teacher pay raises. No state employee, parent or grandparent begrudges a teacher raise, but the rising tide for teacher pay increases needs to lift all boats and include all state employees and retirees. And that is precisely the message that SEANC is bringing to the General Assembly when it convenes for the “short” session on May 14. The session promises to be a short one, indeed, with some lawmakers hinting they hope it will last just a few weeks. That’s why SEANC started months ago advocating for a 3-percent acrossthe-board pay increase and costof-living increase for retirees. State employees have had just a 1.2-percent pay increase in six years while prices for everything from food to housing to medicine continue to rise.
SEANC Done With Excuses SEANC isn’t taking no for an answer when it comes to pay raises. Whether it’s Medicaid costs or the need to update buildings, these excuses need to take a back seat to public services and the people who provide them.
Get Social with SEANC!
SEANC’s Top 10 Legislative Priorities (as determined by the 2013 Convention)
n Request that the General Assembly fund employee salary compensation prior to considering other appropriations. n Oppose legislation that would remove state employees from the protections of the State Human Resources Act (formerly the State Personnel Act). n SEANC will oppose privatization and downsizing of government services. n SEANC supports continuation of a defined benefit retirement plan for current and future state employees. n Seek to have SEANC continue to protect dues deduction options from being deleted from the North Carolina state payroll. n Seek cost-of-living adjustment for retired state employees in the amount equal to active state employee pay increases. n Seek to re-establish a fully paid individual health care benefit equivalent to the current PPO 80/20 in place as of June 30, 2013, for all qualified active and retired state employees. n Seek policy change and compliance with laws, policies and regulations governing equitable compensation for career state employees in comparison to current and/or future new compensation offers; and further, petition the Office of State Human Resources (formerly the Office of State Personnel) to take corrective action when agencies are found to be non-compliant. n Seek legislative change from the North Carolina State Treasurer serving as sole fiduciary of the retirement system. n Seek employer contribution to the retirement system that will at least match the employee’s contribution.
“No excuse is acceptable this year instead of a raise,” said SEANC President Sidney M. Sandy. “After six years, we need and deserve a meaningful pay raise.” With the legislature returning to Raleigh, now is the time for SEANC members to do their part and start contacting their legislators at 919-733-4111 to request a 3-percent raise and retiree cost-of-living adjustment. tdavis@seanc.org, Twitter @ToniCDavis
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N.C. Pay Raises Fast Facts
1 105 195 282 88,837
Number of pay raises in the past six years (just 1.2%) Cost in millions of a 3% costof-living adjustment Cost in millions of a 3% pay raise for state employees Cost in millions of turnover because of lack of pay raises in 2011-12 Number of SHRA employees
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