Scoop February 2014

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Member-Only Discounts SEANC Insurance SEANC in the News Update Contact Info Calendar of Events The Reporter

The SEANC Store is now online!

Visit today to show off your SEANC pride with a shirt, hat, jacket, bag and more, all with a flat-rate $5 shipping fee. Shop from the comforts of your own home and have items delivered right to your door.

February 7, 2014

Fields Recruits 100th New Member as More State Workers Side with SEANC SEANC’s Member Action Department and members who recruit had a very productive week, signing up 72 new members! District 20 member Ronald Fields signed up his 100th new member of the year at an event in Sanford! Congrats to those who chose to empower themselves and the public services they provide by joining SEANC! Welcome new members from the departments of Administration, Agriculture, Commerce, Environment, Health and Natural Resources, Health and Human Services, Public Safety and Transportation, public school systems in Bertie, Caldwell, Iredell, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Rowan, Sampson, Vance and Wa ke counties, Central Carolina Community College, Robeson Community College, N.C. State University, UNCChapel Hill and UNC-Charlotte. Contact Member Action Director Lynn Cote for more information on hosting an event at your worksite.

SEANC Continues Its Nonpartisan Tradition SEANC will not be participating as an organization in the Moral March on Raleigh – HKonJ – to protest the Republican Party this weekend in keeping with the tradition and vote of the SEANC Board of Governors to not engage in civil disobedience or advocate for a partisan political agenda.

However, we have been informed by SEIU local 1199 of New York

that they will be sending some people from outside of North Carolina to participate in this event. You may see some SEIU local 1199 New Yorkers in the crowd – they are in no way part of SEANC 2008. Just as we are free to travel around the country to express our beliefs or abstain from events as we see fit, so are our neighbors to the north. Previously SEANC’s Board of Governors voted to abstain from participating in Moral Mondays and directed our leadership to sit down and talk out our specific legislative priorities inside the General Assembly rather than to engage in name calling and being arrested. We understand that some SEANC members will also choose to participate in the march and we believe that all citizens should exercise their democratic right to lobby their lawmakers as they individually see fit. SEANC leaders have chosen to sit down at the bargaining table to negotiate with our elected leaders the best outcomes for state employees and retirees.

BCBSNC, Wayne Memorial Settle Dispute Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH) have come to an agreement on a multi-year contract that, among other things, will allow state employees to continue to use the hospital in Goldsboro as an in-network provider. The settlement is a major step in reigning in out-of-control health care costs, which have increased more than 3-5 times faster than worker paychecks over the past decade. It is a n important development for state employees and retirees covered by the State Health Plan in Eastern North Carolina to obtain access to quality, affordable healthcare due to this compromise.

Finance Professor Commends Retirees Council for Investments Investigation On Wednesday, the SEANC Retirees Council convened in Raleigh to discuss matters important to both retired state workers and actives who will one day retire. The council heard an in-depth presentation from N.C. State

University Professor Richard Warr, who explained the dangers associated with alternative investments by the state Treasurer’s office with the state retirement system. Warr, an economics professor, commended the council for unanimously deciding to hire Edward Siedle to investigate the investments with the N.C. retirement fund, and told the council th at “hedge fund managers aren’t driving 10 year-old Toyotas. They drive Lamborghinis. And you know who is paying for those Lamborghinis? State employees.”

Discount: Flowers for Valentine's Day SEANC members can save 25 percent on flowers for that special someone this Valentine’s Day by using the Perks Card Network.

Visit fromyouflowers.com/ perkscard to access this deal before it’s too late!

State Employees Association of North Carolina 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609 800-222-2758 | seanc.org

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February 14, 2014

Thank You to State Workers for Helping N.C. During the Snowstorm

SEANC in the News Update Contact Info Calendar of Events The Reporter

The SEANC Store is now online!

Visit today to show off your SEANC pride with a shirt, hat, jacket, bag and more, all with a flat-rate $5 shipping fee. Shop from the comforts of your own home and have items delivered right to your door.

SEANC members have been doing incredible things this week in the face of another winter storm that blanketed the entire state. While kids were home from school, Department of Transportation workers and State Highway Patrol officers worked around the clock to keep the roads safe.

N.C. Emergency Management, the N.C. National Guard, Alcohol Law Enforcement, the NC Wildlife Commission and the first responders were there to help citizens through the crisis as well.

As we all know, there are some jobs where a snow day is not an option, like at the state’s medical and mental health facilities and the state’s prisons. Someone has to be at those jobs at all times, and luckily we have state workers like District 9 member Thomas McCall who are dedicated enough to get to work, no matter what happens, because they know the state needs them. McCall, pictured, drove a lawnmower to his job at Foothills Correctional Institute.

Gov. Pat McCrory thanked state workers Friday for their tireless efforts, saying “the state was well-prepared, our responders performed admirably and citizens largely heeded our warnings to stay off the roads. We owe our thanks to all who have worked so hard this week to keep our state safe and to help their neighbors.”

While we appreciate the thank yous, our members are counting on state leaders like McCrory and those in the General Assembly to remember our dedication during this year’s budget process and give us much-needed and deserved raises.

SEANC Scholarship Applications Available One of the outstanding benefits of membership with SEANC is its scholarship program. Active and associate members, their spouses and their dependent children are eligible to apply for scholarships to attend technical schools, community colleges, trade schools, junior colleges and four-year universities or colleges. For more information and to download applications go to the SEANC website. Applications must be received by the District Scholarship Chairperson postmarked no later than April 15.

SEANC in the News Edward Siedle, who SEANC has hired to investigate investments made by State Treasurer Janet Cowell with the state retirement system, wrote an article on Forbes.com Monday highlighting SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope’s letter to Cowell calling on her to release public information regarding the system’s alternative investments, specifically on fees and payments to placement agents. Cope's letter also asked Cowell, literally, "where is our money?"

More State Workers Side with SEANC Congrats to the 53 new members who chose to empower themselves and the public services they provide by joining SEANC! Welcome new members from the departments of Health and Human Services, Public Safety, and Revenue, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Office of the State Auditor, the Office of the State Treasurer, UNC Hospitals, NC State University, Central Piedmont Community College, Durham Technical College, Halifax Community College, Robeson Community College, Winston Salem State University, and school systems in Cumberland, Cabarrus, Catawba, Forsyth, Halifax, Lenoir, Rowan and Wake counties. Contact Lynn Cote for more information on hosting an event at your worksite.

Discount: Choice Hotels It’s not too late to book a quick Valentine’s Day getaway! Let your SEANC membership save you 10 percent on a room at a Choice Hotels location. Click here for details.

State Employees Association of North Carolina 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609 800-222-2758 | seanc.org

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February 28, 2014

Has the Treasurer Failed to Disclose Massive Investment Fees Paid to Wall Street?

SEANC in the News Update Contact Info Calendar of Events The Reporter

SEANC’s investigation into investments made by State Treasurer Janet Cowell with the state retirement system took another turn this week.

Edward Siedle, the nationally known pension expert conducting the investigation, wrote a letter to Cowell calling her out for providing limited information to him as a result of SEANC’s public records requests.

Siedle pointed out that Cowell’s office may have failed to disclose massive hidden fees paid to Wall Street managers. Keep up with the investigation on SEANC’s website.

SEANC in the News The SEANC Store is now online!

Visit today to show off your SEANC pride with a shirt, hat, jacket, bag and more, all with a flat-rate $5 shipping fee. Shop from the comforts of your own home and have items delivered right to your door.

This week the media reported on state retirees who were charged up to three times too much for their State Health Plan premiums thanks to mistakes by the State Treasurer’s office. The large amount of money missing from checks has caused some retirees to struggle to pay bills this month and is part of continued registration problems stemming from November’s open enrollment debacle.

SEANC alerted members of these problems in December both in the Scoop and on social media.

Filing Deadline Today for 2014 Elections SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope met with District 41 member Boz Zellinger on Tuesday to discuss his candidacy for Wake County District Attorney. Currently an Assistant District Attorney, Zellinger is known for handling high-profile cases such as the recent Amanda Hayes and Brad Cooper murder trials. The filing deadline for May’s primary is today.

Are you or another SEANC member you know running for any office?

We’d love to hear from you. Please contact SEANC Political Director Kevin LeCount soon!

SEANC Scholarship Strike-Out Set for April Can you spare an afternoon full of fun, bowling and giving? The SEANC Scholarship Foundation is hosting a Scholarship Strike Out! at AMF East Carolina Lanes in Greenville on April 12. Tickets are $20 per person or $100 per team of six. Proceeds from the event will benefit our scholarship program. Click here for details.

More State Workers Side with SEANC Congrats to the 134 new members who chose to empower themselves and the public services they provide by joining SEANC recently! Welcome new members from the departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Health and Human Services, Public Safety, Revenue and Transportation, schools in Alexander, Caldwell, Catawba, Forsyth County, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Lenoir, Montgomery, Moore, Onslow, Pitt, Robeson and Wake counties, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Office of the State Controller, the N.C. Wildlife Commission, Central Carolina Community College, College of the Albemarle, Halifax Community College, N.C. A&T State University, N.C. Central University, Vance-Granville Community College, Wayne Community College, Winston Salem State University and Appalachian State University. Contact Lynn Cote for more information on hosting an event at your worksite.

Win Prizes for Saving Money!

Let SEANC know how much money you save during the month of March utilizing the discounts you get as a SEANC member. The member who saves the most will receive a $50 Visa gift card and will be featured in SEANC’s publications! All other entries will be entered in a drawing to receive a $25 Visa gift card. Click here for details. Start saving today by checking out SEANC’s Featured Discounts!

Gain Peace of Mind with SEANC Insurance There's strength in numbers, and SEANC's group buying power means great rates on insurance for members! Did you know that SEANC offers competitive rates on everything from auto to life to home to pet insurance, and even identity theft? Click here to start saving today!

State Employees Association of North Carolina 1621 Midtown Place Raleigh, NC 27609 800-222-2758 | seanc.org