February 2018 • Vol. 36, Issue 2
THE
REPORTER
State Employees Association of North Carolina
Broome selected as SEANC's new executive director The SEANC Board of Governors and Executive Committee recently hired Robert Broome as SEANC’s newest executive director. His first day on the job was Jan. 1. Broome brings with him more than two decades of public affairs experience, including 15 years in government relations for trade associations. Most recently, he served as Director of Communications for the N.C. Department of Transportation before a brief stint as Interim Director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “We feel confident that Robert is a man of integrity who will lead our organization into a new era,” SEANC President Stanley Drewery said. “Our hiring process was thorough, and Robert has the skills, drive and demeanor to lead
our staff as we confront the challenges facing state and local employees and retirees.” Through a process of evaluations and initial interviews that began in August, a committee of Executive Director Robert Broome (bottom row, third from left) with the SEANC Executive Committee. SEANC members sorted Prior to becoming a lobbyist, he was through more than 200 applicants a research analyst for the Tennessee for the position. The committee House of Representatives. He has also selected finalists to interview with the served as a political consultant to over 50 Executive Committee, which then campaigns in various capacities, including made a recommendation to the Board research, polling, fundraising, strategy of Governors to hire Broome. The and communications. board voted in favor of the hire at its He succeeded Mitch Leonard, who has November meeting. worked for the association for 42 years Broome has extensive experience in and has served as executive director for lobbying for the real estate industry in the last three years. North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
Prison reforms the focus following deadliest year The deadliest year in the history of the state’s prison system has made swift reforms a priority for SEANC and lawmakers. Five prison workers lost their lives in 2017 in two separate attacks. In April, Sgt. Meggan Callahan was brutally murdered by an inmate while responding to a fire at Bertie Correctional. Then in October, a prison break attempt by four inmates at Pasquotank Correctional resulted in the murders of correctional
In This Issue 2 3 4-5 7 8
Executive Director's Message Public Policy Members in Action Member Benefits New Member Contest
officers Wendy Shannon and Justin Smith, maintenance mechanic Geoffrey Howe and Correction Enterprises manager Veronica Darden. Judge Reuben Young took over as the Chief Deputy Secretary of the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice in an interim capacity after David Guice stepped down following the attacks. Department of Public Safety (DPS) Secretary Erik Hooks also appointed SEANC President Stanley Drewery as a member of his newly formed Prison Reform Advisory Board. President Drewery has formed the SEANC Select Committee on Prison Reform (a group of SEANC members working in the corrections field). They have been tasked with making recommendations on reforms based on
ideas members submitted in December. “It’s important for workers at the prisons to have a voice in the reform efforts, since they are most directly affected,” said Drewery. “No one knows what needs to be changed better than the people who go behind the wall and put their lives at risk every day.” DPS has already announced some changes to the Inmate Disciplinary Policy and has taken steps to increase safety. SEANC will continue to press legislators and the Cooper Administration to make the necessary reforms and investments in our prisons to improve safety, such as increasing pay and enhancing benefits to help recruit and retain officers, making changes to policies and providing better equipment.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
A series of small things
A
THE
mong the quotes attributed to the Dutch impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, there is this gem: “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” New leaders are often tempted to make an initial splash through big changes. Nothing generates attention like a major personnel shuffle, a radical new initiative, or the complete overhaul of an existing program. Such efforts may grab headlines, but they rarely result in the meaningful, long-term results that are the hallmarks of greatness. When I accepted the offer to serve as your Executive Director, I was excited to join an established association with an unshakeable
REPORTER
Jonathan Owens, Editor-In-Chief Beth Dew, Managing Editor Amanda Wise, Associate Editor Sara Cowell Coburn, Associate Editor
State Employees Association of North Carolina 1621 Midtown Place • Raleigh, NC 27609 Telephone 919-833-6436, 800-222-2758 www.seanc.org
Advertising Policy
SEANC accepts advertising material from companies and persons seeking to communicate with SEANC members. Acceptance of this advertising does not indicate SEANC approval or endorsement of any representation that the message, product or service is as represented by the advertiser. SEANC accepts no responsibility and shall not be liable for any use of or reliance on any such information, product or service. SEANC is a private entity and is under no obligation to carry advertisements of any nature, political or otherwise, that may be viewed as contrary to the interests of the association and its membership.
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THE REPORTER • February 2018
commitment to its members. SEANC’s track record of fighting for the rights and benefits of state employees and retirees speaks for itself. I also saw untapped potential for this organization. I am invigorated by the opportunity for us to work together to Executive Director Robert Broome unleash that potential for even greater success. Rather than propose One Big Thing as a silver bullet, I’m recommending a different path. I am challenging our staff and members to strive for greatness through a strategy of continual improvement. Continual and incremental improvement isn’t flashy. It doesn’t make headlines or lead the evening news. The benefits don’t usually provide instant gratification, and the results may not even be readily apparent. Growth can elude us by hiding behind tedious tasks and underused best practices. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Instead, make a slight improvement to the wheel. Take what works and do more of it. I urge you to join me in this effort in an unusual way. Let’s work together to move SEANC forward by measuring backward. Instead of a large, daunting goal, such as “I will recruit 50 new members by the end of the year,” measure backward and set a small, incremental goal to do better. How many prospective members
did you approach last week? Zero? Set a goal to recruit one member this week and make it happen. Next week, measure backward again. Did you meet that goal to recruit one new member? Great! Set a goal to recruit two new members this week. Then three, then four… you get the idea. Apply this approach in different ways. Return five calls instead of four. Invest $5 more in EMPAC this year. Make a plan to attend that district meeting you skipped last month, and then follow through. We will try new things, of course. I encourage creativity and innovation, and we must be bold when we ponder, plan and promote ideas to improve service for our members. It is also my expectation that we will strive to do the existing things better. Continual improvement is the gradual, never-ending process of bringing together a series of small things. Those small things will add up to something great.
PUBLIC POLICY KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO The first big snowstorm of 2018 hit in the first week of January, and more will likely fall before the winter ends. With that in mind, it’s important that all state employees know the rules regarding missed work because of weather. The Office of State Human Resources updated the policy in early 2015 and created a new and separate Emergency Closing Policy. The Adverse Weather Policy applies only to commute conditions, while the Emergency Closing Policy applies to dangerous workplace conditions. The Adverse Weather Policy states that if employees leave work or are unable to report to work due to adverse weather, the time missed will be charged to accrued compensatory time, or if none exists, employees may be approved to make up the time using overtime within 90 days. Under the separate Emergency Closing Policy, if the worksite is closed because it is dangerous for the public and employees to even be there, no work time will be required to be made up. The new policy also explains that all mandatory employees are required to report to work under adverse weather conditions, even if the governor or State Highway Patrol have asked motorists to stay off the roads. If such conditions cause an employee to be The Reporter, USPS 009-852 (ISSN 1069 2142), is published six times a year in the months of February, April, May, July, September and November for $2.50 per year, per member, by the State Employees Association of North Carolina, Inc., 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609. Periodicals postage paid at Raleigh and additional offices. POSTMASTER, Send address changes to: THE REPORTER, 1621 Midtown Place, Raleigh, NC 27609
late reporting to work, the time may be made up with a supervisor’s approval without using leave time. Making up the hours In some instances, particularly under a State of Emergency declaration by the governor, non-mandatory personnel may seek approval from their supervisor to work from home or an alternate work site. If nonmandatory employees take leave, those lost hours will first be charged to any existing comp time (holiday, overtime, gap hours, callback, on-call, travel or emergency closing). If an employee’s comp time does not cover the entire period of absence, the employee can either use vacation leave, bonus leave, request leave without pay, or make up the lost time through overtime “where operational needs allow and a supervisor approves” within 90 days. Legitimate purposes for overtime include making up the missed work, special projects or trainings that are difficult to fit into the regular work day, and work on any existing backlogs. When making up time with overtime, each hour of overtime is worth 1.5 hours of regular time. So, for example, only two hours of overtime will be required to make up three hours of regular time. Emergency Closing Policy According to this policy, emergency
conditions are those considered by agency heads and emergency officials to be “hazardous to life or safety of both the general public as well as employees at a specific location or worksite.” Examples of emergency evacuations include “catastrophic life threatening natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes and floods” or possibly “fire, bomb threats, prolonged disruption of power and/or water, contamination by hazardous agents, terrorist acts.” Snow and ice constitute emergency conditions only when they threaten the structural safety of the worksite. What it means for you With these changes, the state has tightened its rules for what constitutes an emergency closing. This means that in cases of snow and ice or other adverse weather conditions, more employees will likely be forced to use leave time or to make the time up. However, employees now have 90 days to make up the lost hours through overtime. SEANC advocated for this new benefit, which should allow state employees to better protect their leave. SEANC will continue to work with OSHR to ensure that state employees are treated fairly and that their safety is considered during adverse weather and emergency closing conditions.
Tax Deduction Notification Federal law requires SEANC to provide all members with a written estimate of what portion of membership dues goes to lobbying and political expenses. The majority of dues paid by SEANC members who are current state employees is allowable as an “employee business expense” under federal income tax. However, the part of the dues that SEANC uses for political and lobbying purposes is not tax deductible. For the tax year 2017, the nondeductible political action/lobbying amount is $1.33 per month. The same federal law requires SEANC to give its members an estimate of 2018’s political action lobbying expenses that are paid from dues. The anticipated figure for the 2018 tax year is $1.58 per month. Members are encouraged to consult a tax professional about individual tax returns and liability.
THE REPORTER • February 2018
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SARA COWELL COBURN
MEMBERS IN ACTION
SEANC staff member Johnny Davison speaks about the benefits of SEANC membership with Black Mountain Neuro Medical Treatment Center employees on Oct. 25.
District 39 held a member appreciation luncheon at North Carolina State University on Nov. 28. Here, District 39 member Mark Dearmon discusses benefits with a SEANC member.
LINA JOHNSON
District 42 held a membership drive at the Public Health Lab in Raleigh on Dec. 6. More than 50 employees attended, and several employees joined SEANC. The district served lunch and raffled off gift cards. Pictured are District 42 Chairwoman Shirley Bell (second from right) and SEANC staff members Celia Wilson and Carri Derrick (left) as they explain the benefits of SEANC membership. It had been several years since SEANC had access to the facility, so it was great to be able to share SEANC benefits and recruit new members.
SARA COWELL COBURN
SEANC President Stanley Drewery (standing left) and State Membership Chairman Cliff Johnson (standing right) provided lunch and spoke with the Department of Environmental Quality employees in Swannanoa on Nov. 28.
District 37 held a membership event at the Department of Transportation Highway Building on Nov. 14. The district reconnected with members about the benefits of membership. Pictured are District 37 Chairman Furman Beckwith (wearing a cap) and members from the district.
District 65 held an employee appreciation luncheon for East Carolina University employees at the main campus on Nov. 8. Over 45 state employees attended, and many employees signed up for additional SEANC benefits. Pictured on far right is District 65 member Cynthia Hart serving lunch.
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THE REPORTER • February 2018
District 6 Chairwoman Sonya Akbar and President Stanley Drewery (far right) discuss SEANC issues with District 6 member Dale Ellis at Broughton Hospital in Morganton.
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY PAM HAILEY
District 58 adopted two children from Carver Heights Elementary School in Goldsboro to brighten their Christmas. Pictured from left are Carver Heights social worker Claudia Luckey Brown, Marie Stone and Ethel Branch from District 58.
CYNTHIA BROWN
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY AMY ROBINSON
District 41 North Central Region Representative Mike Gould and District 41 members Kelly Russell, Stacie Crabtree and her son shopping for over $1,100 of needs for patients at UNC Children's Hospital.
District 2 member Bill Danielson and State Membership Chairman Cliff Johnson delivered cookies and fruit to five Buncombe County state agencies after 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve for 400-500 employees working Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day.
District 9 members supported the Alexander County DSS Foster Angel Tree program. Pictured at left are District 9 members Amy Robinson and Jackie Burgess. Not pictured is District 9 Chairman Jamie Robinson.
District 43 members and SEANC staff participated in the Angel Tree program to help children in Wake County. Pictured is District 43 member Willie Dunn picking up gifts at the SEANC Central Office.
District 7 members and J. Iverson Riddle Development Center staff helped Burke United Christian Ministries with cooked turkeys, stuffing and chicken broth for Thanksgiving Day. Pictured are District 7 member Scott McMahan and District 7 Chairman Henry Belada.
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY HENRY BELADA
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY HENRY BELADA
District 65 Executive Board members rang the bell at SAM's Club in Winterville on Dec. 6. Pictured are LaRanda Boone, Lina Johnson, Dwayne Mackey and Cynthia Hart.
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY CARRI DERRICK
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY MIKE GOULD
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY CLIFF JOHNSON
MEMBERS IN ACTION
District 6 and District 7 members participated in the J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center Christmas Parade in Morganton.
THE REPORTER • February 2018
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sign up online & start shopping! www.SEANC.PurchasingPower.com *Promo valid for 20% off through 3/10/2018 at 11:59pm PST. First time buyers only. All orders are subject to a minimum order amount of $200. Offer excludes Square Trade Upgrades, Apple products, Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch, Automotive Services, Flash Sales and Doorbusters. Promo code must be entered at time of checkout for discount to be applied. Only one promo code may be used per order. Promo code cannot be applied to previous purchases or combined with other offers. Offered discount applies to cost of products only, not applicable to warranty upgrades. Spend total is based on cost of products only, and does not include shipping, taxes, installation or other fees. Products and pricing are available while supplies last and are subject to change without notice, so call or go online for the latest offering. Individual eligibility requirements and spending limits may apply. See site for details. “A Better Way to Buy” is a trademark, and “Purchasing Power” is a registered trademark, of Purchasing Power, LLC. Other trademarks used are the property of their respective owners. ©2018 Purchasing Power, LLC. All rights reserved.
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THE REPORTER • February 2018
SEANC partners with Colonial Life to offer new insurance programs Once again, SEANC has partnered with Colonial Life to bring you the following products effective Jan. 1, 2018.
Cancer Insurance Disability Insurance Hospital Confinement Indemnity Insurance Universal Life Insurance with a Long Term Care Rider If you are interested in obtaining any of the products listed, please contact Colonial Life at 1-888-732-6248 or visit the website at www.visityouville.com/SEANC.
Travel to your winter wonderland with an SECU Auto Loan! Visit www.ncsecu.org/AutoLoans/ VehicleLoans.html for details.
Scholarship Season is Here!
Deadline is April 15 to apply for annual SEANC awards Are you a SEANC member going to college? Do you have a son, daughter, legally adopted grandchild or a spouse going to college? Do you want help paying high tuition, room and board and even book bills? Then apply today for a scholarship from the SEANC Scholarship Foundation. Now is the time to work on your application for the 2018-19 academic year. Last year, the SEANC Scholarship Foundation and SEANC’s 51 districts gave out more than $100,000 to help members, their spouses and their dependents attend either two- or four-year institutions. This year, you or somebody in your family could be one of those deserving winners! An application must be turned in to your district scholarship chairperson postmarked no later than April 15. To find an application and your district’s scholarship chairperson, visit seanc.org/scholarship. The scholarships awarded by the SEANC Scholarship Foundation and the individual districts are one of the association’s largest benefits for members. For more information, visit seanc.org/scholarship or contact Carri Derrick at (919) 833-6436.
Choose from Three Categories In addition to the local scholarships offered by the districts, the SEANC Scholarship Foundation offers funding assistance in three categories. Category 1 — Financial Need Winners are selected based on academic performance (40%), financial need (30%), community involvement (10%), personal statement (10%) and recommendations (10%). Category 2 — Merit Winners are selected based on academic performance (70%), community involvement (10%), personal statement (10%) and recommendations (10%). Category 3 — Member-Only Winners are selected based on recommendations (30%), SEANC service (20%), career objectives (20%), personal statement (20%) and community involvement (10%).
Apply Today! Applications for SEANC's scholarships are available online at seanc.org/scholarship. THE REPORTER • February 2018
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Join SEANC and win a 55" HDTV New members joining SEANC between Jan. 1, 2018, through March 31, 2018, will have their name placed in a drawing to win a Haier 55" television. There will be five drawings (one from each region). Drawings will be random and will take place on April 2, 2018. Winners will be notified by telephone and/or letter. Features: ● 4K Ultra HD 2160p display ● 10w x 2 stereo output ● Direct LED backlight ● Full function remote control ● Sound speaker chamber for enhanced sound ● 4 HDMI connections, 1 USB, 1 composite, 1 component, 1 optical ● 120 full motion rate Sponsored by ● Sleek and slim design