Scoop March 2013

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop March 1, 2013 Cowell seeks minimum retirement age

State Treasurer Janet Cowell is at it again. Last Friday, Cowell's office presented its plan to set a minimum retirement age of 62 for all state employees who started working for the state on or after Aug. 1, 2011. Under the proposal, employees would have to accept an as-yetundetermined reduced benefit rate if they retired after 30 years of service but before they turn 62. SEANC has always opposed a minimum retirement age and in 2010 fought off efforts to set the minimum at 55. What’s more, the Treasurer’s staff bypassed the Retirement System Board of Trustees and took the proposal straight to the General Assembly. Read more in this week's Legislative Update. Also, let us know your thoughts on Cowell's plan here.

Click here to read the March Reporter!

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Get Money 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 and SEANC’s Perks Network discounts!

More State Workers Turn to SEANC

SEANC’s Member Action Department recruited 51 new members in the last week from work sites all over the state, including the Adult Correction Basic Training School, Adult Probation and Parole, Western Region Maintenance and Community Corrections offices in the Department of Public Safety, Cherry Hospital, the Division of Motor Vehicles, the N.C. Cooperative Extension office in Pamlico County, Pender County Department of Transportation and the Department of Revenue. If you would like for a SEANC Member Action Coordinator to visit your work site, contact Member Action Director Lynn Cote.

Member Discount: ACC Women's Hoops

Get tickets to the 2013 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament, set for March 8-10 in Greensboro, for as little as $7, a discount of more than 60 percent! See details and ordering information here.

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop March 8, 2013 Legislators Question Cowell's Staff on State Health Plan Surcharges

The noise made by SEANC members on State Treasurer Janet Cowell’s plans to add surcharges to the State Health Plan has been heard at the General Assembly. In a N.C. House State Personnel Committee meeting this week, legislators questioned Cowell’s staff on the need for the charges and received no answers. Also, a report on inmate health care costs showed huge savings since 2009-2010, further proving that state employees are more cost-effective than private companies when it comes to performing public services. Read all about these topics and more in this week’s Legislative Update.

Click here to read the March Reporter!

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SEANC In the News

SEANC Legislative Affairs Director Ardis Watkins spoke out this week on the need to keep state employee evaluations private, telling the Wilson Times, “It’s a subjective determination that apparently doesn’t rise to the level of demotion or dismissal. It’s one person’s opinion of your performance.” Further, Watkins said making performance reviews public could subject government agencies to legal liability if those evaluations are later proven inaccurate, adding, “I think the public should have a concern when public employee records are delved into in a manner that doesn’t serve a legitimate purpose.”

Get Money 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 and SEANC’s Perks Network discounts!

State Employees Turn to SEANC

SEANC recruited 85 state employees this week.

Congrats to our new members who made the choice to empower themselves, public services and the people who provide them. These new members were recruited at the CIAA men’s basketball tournament in Charlotte, Tryon Palace, Department of Public Safety offices in Greenville and Edenton, Mecklenburg Community Corrections, Bertie Correctional Institution and Cherry Hospital. If you would like for a SEANC Member Action Coordinator to visit your work site, contact Member Action Director Lynn Cote.

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

Member Discount: Harlem Globetrotters

Did you miss out on the Harlem Globetrotters’ game in Raleigh last week? You’re in luck, because SEANC also offers discounts on tickets for the team’s upcoming games in Charlotte and Greensboro. Click on the city names above for more on each event.

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop March 15, 2013 SEANC Fights for Employee Privacy

This week a bill, SB332, to make state employees’ performance records available to the public was filed in the N.C. Senate. In summary, the bill is one big bad idea. The bill would serve no legitimate purpose; it simply would create a forum for gossip and potential lawsuits. Also, a pro-consumer bill, HB 117, was filed in the N.C. House to end hospitals’ monopolies on surgeries and radiological services. Let’s ask lawmakers to vote YES to ending health care monopolies and YES to save the State Health Plan a tremendous amount of money. SEANC wants to know who could oppose saving the average citizen money on their health care bills -- other than the powerful hospital association lobby, that is. Read all about these topics and more in this week's Legislative Update.

Click here to read the March Reporter!

SAVE THE DATE! The Don Jones Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Aug. 9 at Keith Hills Golf Club in Buies Creek.

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SEANC In the News

SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope will appear on this weekend’s edition of “People in Politics,” a state government radio show. Cope’s segment will air at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday on 680 WPTF AM in the Raleigh area and other stations statewide at various times throughout the weekend through State Government Radio. You can also listen to it online here. Also this week, Cope and SEANC Legislative Affairs Director Ardis Watkins were both featured in a front-page story in The Charlotte Observer on efforts to rein in health care costs. Cope’s Twitter exchange on HB 117 with a lobbyist for the N.C. Hospital Association was documented, and Watkins was quoted as saying, “Lawmakers have a chance to give citizens relief from extraordinarily over-inflated hospital prices. It’s ridiculous if they don’t take that opportunity.”

SEANC Hot Spots: Cope Meets VP in D.C.

SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope met with Vice President Joe Biden this week as part of his work on the SEIU Executive Committee. The committee discussed the federal sequester and how it might impact the vital public services that state employees provide citizens.

Members Help Disabled See the State

Members in the Department of Health and Human Services, led by SEANC District 42 member Philip Woodward, have developed a wonderful resource to help people with disabilities enjoy all the state has to offer! The book, titled, “ACCESS North Carolina: A Vacation and Travel Guide for People with Disabilities” is a comprehensive resource of accessibility of the many attractions the state has to offer and is useful for planning vacations, school field trips or any other type of trip. In

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

addition to helping people with disabilities, the information in the book can also benefit people who are aging and parents with child and infant strollers. This is just one of the many valuable public services that SEANC members provide each day to make this state a great place live and work. If you’d like a particular project that benefits N.C.’s citizens highlighted in the Scoop, contact SEANC’s Communications Department.

A Doggone Good Insurance Product Coming

Pet owners chew on this! SEANC’s Insurance Department has been working hard to sniff out the best benefits for you and your four-legged family members. And doggone it, we’ve found it. Coming this spring, SEANC will unveil an exciting pet insurance option for members. In the meantime, check out all the affordable programs available through SEANC Insurance here.

Discount: Women's Empowerment Expo

SEANC members save $2 off each ticket to the 2013 Women's Empowerment Expo at PNC Arena in Raleigh.

The event is on Saturday, March 23, and will feature Bishop T.D. Jakes as a keynote speaker. Come be inspired, educated and encouraged!

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop March 22, 2013 McCrory Releases First Budget

This week at the General Assembly, legislators got their first look at Gov. Pat McCrory’s first budget proposal, which includes a 1 percent pay raise for state employees and a 1 percent cost-ofliving adjustment for retirees. Also, the House Government Committee held a hearing on HB 96, which would extend tax exemptions on pensions to state and federal retirees. Read more about these issues in this week's Legislative Update.

Click here to read the March Reporter!

SAVE THE DATE! The Don Jones Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Aug. 9 at Keith Hills Golf Club in Buies Creek.

SEANC In the News

SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope was quoted in a WRAL-TV article about Gov. Pat McCrory’s first budget on Wednesday, saying, "I recognize that state employees and public services sacrificed during tough economic times and how important it is to you and your families to be fairly compensated for your part in making North Carolina a great place to work and live." Also, last week’s Scoop item featuring the Legislative Update, which called Sen. Thom Goolsby’s proposal to make employee evaluations a matter of public record “one big bad idea,” was featured in Saturday’s “Under the Dome” column in the News & Observer.

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Discounted Theme Park Tickets Now Available at SECU Branches

It’s time to purchase your discounted tickets to all the best area theme and water parks! SEANC and the State Employees Credit Union have teamed up to offer savings at six different amusement parks in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Tickets will be on sale for Busch Gardens, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe, Myrtle Waves and Jungle Rapids Waterpark. Stop by any State Employees’ Credit Union branch starting Monday to pick up your discounted tickets.

SEANC Welcomes 106 New Members

SEANC recruited 106 state employees this week.

Congrats to our new members who made the choice to empower themselves, public services and the people who provide them. These new members were recruited at the Departments of Transportation, Public Safety, Insurance, Commerce, Health and Human Services and Public Instruction, N.C. Cooperative Extension, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the UNC System, the N.C. Community College System and Sanford, Craggy, Morrison and Swannanoa correctional institutions. If you would like for a SEANC Member Action Coordinator to visit your work site, contact Member Action Director Lynn Cote.

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

SEANC Sniffs Out a Deal for Pet Owners

Are pet health care costs making your wallet growl? Got a cat who's sick as a dog? Or a dog who's prone to cat-astrophes?

Coming this spring, SEANC will unveil an exciting pet insurance option for members. In the meantime, check out all the affordable programs available through SEANC Insurance here.

Discount: Opera Carolina

SEANC members can enjoy a night at the opera and still have enough money for dinner thanks to a 20 percent discount at Opera Carolina in Charlotte. Click here for discounted tickets to the opera’s final show of the season, The Pearl Fishers. You must enter the promo code CORP for the discount. For more information about this production or Opera Carolina, please click here.

State Employees Association of North Carolina The SEANC Scoop March 28, 2013 Cowell's Power Grab Advances in General Assembly

State Treasurer Janet Cowell’s attempt to wrestle control of the State Health Plan away from the SHP Board of Trustees received a “favorable report” from the House Insurance Committee on Tuesday despite objections from SEANC and several lawmakers on the committee.

Then on Wednesday, Cowell held a photo op under the guise of fitness to promote her own political ambitions. Read more in this week's Legislative Update.

SEANC In the News

SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope and Legislative Affairs Director Ardis Watkins were quoted in the News & Observer about State Treasurer Janet Cowell’s recent power grabs. Cope said “I’ve never seen anyone who wants to be in charge of everything, but responsible for nothing more than Janet Cowell,” about her attempts to take control of the State Health Plan. Watkins explained SEANC’s objections to her recent moves regarding retirement, saying, “We don’t understand the need to go in and make major changes to the retirement system out of fear that there might be a bill to change the way the legislature funds it.” Cowell did not respond to interview requests in the story.

Click here to read the April Reporter!

SAVE THE DATE! The Don Jones Memorial Golf Tournament will be held Aug. 9 at Keith Hills Golf Club in Buies Creek.

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Cope Meets with the Lieutenant Governor

SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope had a productive meeting with Lt. Gov. Dan Forest on Wednesday. The two discussed ways to improve state employee morale in the workplace and ways to work together to provide the highest quality public services. "It was a productive meeting," Cope said afterwards. "We found common ground on a lot of issues important to state employees, and we look forward to working with the lieutenant governor in the future."

Scholarship Deadline Fast Approaching!

The deadline to apply for a SEANC scholarship is just around the corner. Applications must be submitted by April 15. Awards are given in three categories: financial need, merit and members only. Last year SEANC gave out 36 awards totaling more than $34,000. Click here for more information. You must be logged into the website to access the applications.

SEANC Hot Spots:

Member Discounts SEANC in the News SEANC Insurance Update Your Contact Info Calendar of Events www.seanc.org 800-222-2758

SEANC Sniffs Out a Deal for Pet Owners

Pets can take a bite out of your budget. Soon, SEANC will be able to help by offering a new pet insurance program. This affordable coverage will allow members to provide the best care possible for your pet. In the meantime, check out all the affordable programs available through SEANC Insurance here.

Discount: Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Heading to the beach this summer? Take a break from the waves with a night at the ballpark, thanks to a discount from SEANC! Watch as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, the Class A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, battle their foes in the Carolina League. Click here for more information.