September 2016 • Vol. 34, Issue 6
THE
REPORTER
State Employees Association of North Carolina
The statewide committee of EMPAC, the political arm of the State Employees Association of North Carolina, voted in late July to endorse Roy Cooper for Governor of North Carolina. The endorsement came after the committee’s extensive interviews with both Cooper and his opponent, incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory. Cooper, who has served as the state’s Attorney General for the past 15 years, is more than qualified for the position. EMPAC is confident he will be a champion for state employees and retirees in the Governor’s Mansion. “Devoting his own life to public service, Roy Cooper understands the issues facing state employees and retirees firsthand,” said EMPAC Statewide Chairman Tony Smith. “Those issues are the same ones facing all working families in North Carolina. He’s an advocate for the middle class who will not work against our members for corporate profits. We proudly stand with him in this election.” As of early August, polls showed a tight race between Cooper and McCrory, meaning that support from unified SEANC members could make the difference.
In This Issue 2-4 5 6-7 8 10 11 12
Scholarship Recipients Public Policy Annual Convention Members In Action Election 2016 Public Policy EMPAC Endorsements
N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper and SEANC First Vice President Stanley Drewery discuss the issues facing state employees and retirees.
If you’ll recall, McCrory’s 2016 budget proposal called for no true pay raises or cost-of-living adjustments for retirees, despite the fact that state employees and retirees have fallen behind the cost of living by around 10 percent since 2010. In the final days of this year's budget debate, SEANC members called on McCrory to support the House’s proposal for true pay raises and COLAs. He didn’t, and state employees were left with inadequate raises and small bonuses, while retirees got a one-time bonus that will not help them keep up with the price of goods and services and will largely be taken by the tax man. “McCrory had a chance in the most recent state budget debate to stand up for state employees and retirees,” Smith said. “He chose not to, which means another year where our members will fall behind the cost of living. It’s time for a change.”
To add insult to injury, he took $500,000 of emergency response funds at the close of session to pay for legal fees to defend his bill on bathrooms. Essentially, each state employee and retiree gave up $5 to support HB2. McCrory even singled out SEANC specifically in an attack late last year. In an attempt to silence the association's members, he rescinded an executive order that allowed members to participate in SEANC’s annual convention and granted employees the right to “meet and confer” with agency leadership over issues they see at their workplace. SEANC looks forward to supporting Cooper in the upcoming election, and urges you to do the same. Even if you are a Republican, as a SEANC member the choice for your bank account and your future is obvious. Please tell your friends, family members and coworkers to vote for Cooper as well.
JONATHAN OWENS
Cooper is the clear choice for governor