May 2019 Scoop by SEANC

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Friday, May 3, 2019

The House budget proposal passed this week on a 61-55 floor vote with little debate. The proposal disrespects state employees with a raise of only 1% or $500, whichever is greater, for most workers. Adding insult to injury, the raise would not take effect until January 1, 2020, six months into the state’s fiscal year. The measure allocates a mere $44 million for pay raises, which is less than two-tenths of 1% of the entire $24 billion budget. The budget bill contains no COLA or supplement for retiree pensions for the coming fiscal year, even as lawmakers touted revenue surpluses and tax cuts for corporations. The proposal contains $39 million for funding for the State Health Plan in the first year of the biennium, which is a severe underfunding that would force it to use reserves. Following the budget unveiling on Tuesday, SEANC issued a news release calling on all House members to vote against the proposal. “This budget is a slap in the face,” said SEANC President Jimmy Davis. “House leaders have failed to prioritize public services and disrespected the people who provide them. House members of both parties should reject this plan.” It's important to note that this is not the final budget. State employees and retirees should reach out to their Senators and tell them this budget is unacceptable.

Thursday night’s Town Hall event on the Clear Pricing Project in Greenville was a success, even though representatives from the hospitals declined our invitation to attend. State Treasurer Dale Folwell explained why reform is needed for the State Health Plan and health care costs in general. He said that the State Health Plan has more buying power than Amazon, JP Morgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway combined, and he planned to use that power to lower plan member costs, especially for dependent care premiums. “We’re trying to make sure state employees can afford the dependent plan without having to work one week out of the month to pay for the premium,” Folwell said, to applause. “Young state employees are being forced to choose between a mortgage and health care.”

SEANC Executive Director Robert Broome stressed that the Clear Pricing Project fits in with SEANC’s mission of protecting and enhancing the rights and benefits of current, retired and future state employees. Broome also chastised hospitals for the lack of transparency of their billing systems, where patients seldom know what they are paying for. Government Relations Director Ardis Watkins moderated the event, and read a statement from Vidant Health CEO Mike Waldrum, who stated that he could not attend because he didn’t think a town hall forum was a sufficient venue to discuss the plan, even though he has taken part in similar events with business leaders on the same topic. SEANC plans to hold another Town Hall forum on May 16 in Raleigh on this important matter, and hopes to bring one to the western part of the state as well. Details on those events will be forthcoming. For now, state employees and retirees should continue to reach out to their senators to tell them to oppose House Bill 184, which would stop the Treasurer from doing his job of saving you money.

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Friday, May 10, 2019

SEANC District 25 hosted a town hall event this week in Chapel Hill featuring State Treasurer Dale Folwell and Reps. Graig Meyer and Verla Insko to discuss the State Health Plan’s Clear Pricing Project. Both Insko and Meyer voted for House Bill 184, which would strip the treasurer of his ability to implement the project and save taxpayers and plan members millions. If you were unable to attend the town halls in Greenville or Chapel Hill, there is an opportunity on Thursday to stand up for your health care. SEANC is hosting a town hall in Raleigh on the Clear Pricing Project on Thursday, May 16, at the SEANC Central Office. Light refreshments will begin at 6 p.m. The program will start at 6:30 p.m. Folwell has confirmed his participation in the town hall, as has N.C. Healthcare Association lobbyist Cody Hand. Also invited are: The entire Wake County Delegation to the General Assembly Steve Lawler from the N.C. Healthcare Association Dr. Mike Waldrum, Vidant Health CEO Dr. Wesley Burks, UNC Health Care CEO Steve Burriss, President of Rex Hospital Gary Park, President of UNC Hospitals Dr. Eugene Washington, Duke University Health System CEO Donald R. Gintzig, WakeMed CEO

Space is limited so make sure to register today.

RSVP for the Raleigh Town Hall on May 16

From left to right, Shayna Hill from the UNC Employee Forum, SEANC District 25 member Pamela Montgomery, SEANC Second VP Kirk Montgomery, State Treasurer Dale Folwell, District 25 Chairman James Holman, Rep. Graig Meyer, SEANC First VP Martha Fowler and SEANC Executive Director Robert Broome at District 25's town hall meeting on May 8 in Chapel Hill.

This week was Crossover Week at the N.C. General Assembly, when important topics like the state budget take a back seat to bills that legislators hope to keep alive for the rest of the session. Senate leaders did say this week, however, that they hope to finalize their budget proposal soon and hold floor votes on it the week after Memorial Day. This gives SEANC members little time to continue to press upon their senators the need to craft a budget more in line with the state’s values, including respect for state employees and retirees. If you’ll recall, the N.C. House provided just a 1% or $500 raise for most state employees in its proposal, and nothing for retirees. Click here to tell your senator this is unacceptable. If you have already emailed them, consider calling this time, which you can do through the same tool.

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Friday, May 17, 2019

Folwell, plan opponents square off at SEANC Town Hall SEANC hosted a town hall forum on the Clear Pricing Project on Thursday at the SEANC Central Office in Raleigh. N.C. Treasurer Dale Folwell and N.C. Healthcare Association lobbyist Cody Hand, as well as House Minority Leader Rep. Darren Jackson (D-Wake), Rep. Joe John (D-Wake) and Rep. Yvonne Holley (D-Wake) were in attendance and answered questions from members. The event featured a discussion of the issue from representatives from both sides. Folwell made an impassioned plea for support from the room full of state employees and retirees as he attempts to rein in their health care costs (watch his opening remarks above). Hand provided the hospitals' perspective. Earlier in the week, Folwell announced that his office was moving forward with contracts for the new network the Clear Pricing Project will create. It will save taxpayers almost $258 million and Plan members almost $57 million. SEANC asks that members continue to reach out to their senators using the button below to tell them to oppose House Bill 184, which would prevent the Treasurer from implementing this plan. The bill has passed the House but has stalled in the Senate.

Tell your Senator to oppose HB 184

Treat your family to some fun! Stop by any State Employees' Credit Union branch today to get discount tickets to the hottest theme parks in the area and beyond, including Carowinds (featured above). See prices below to plan your trip!

www.seanc.org | The State Employees Association of North Carolina | ÂŠ 2018

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Friday, May 24, 2019

Gov. Cooper grants paid parental leave for many state employees

State employee families got welcome news on Thursday, as Gov. Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 95 that grants paid parental leave to mothers and fathers who welcome a new child into their home. Executive Order 95 provides up to eight weeks of paid parental leave for mothers who give birth and four weeks to their partners or anyone who has an adoption, foster care or other legal placement of a child. The order takes effect Sept. 1, 2019, and pertains only to state employees who work at a cabinet agency under the Governor’s authority – the departments of Administration, Commerce, Environmental Quality, Health and Human Services, Information Technology, Natural and Cultural Resources, Military and Veteran Affairs, Public Safety, Revenue and Transportation. In his press conference Thursday, Gov. Cooper urged all other branches of state government, including school systems, community college, universities and the departments outside of his control, to adopt the policy as well. To include all agencies, the legislature would need to pass House Bill 987, which has yet to move out of committee in the House. By federal law, all workers who give birth are guaranteed up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave from their jobs without fear of losing that position. Because of the order, state employees will no longer need to use their banked sick or vacation leave in this time to make sure they get paid. SEANC Executive Director Robert Broome said the order is a needed step to ensure that the state remains competitive in hiring the best and brightest. “We applaud the governor for making this progressive move to ensure that the state is a competitive player in the job market,” Broome said. “Welcoming a new member into your family is a great blessing, and we are grateful for this opportunity to allow state employees to adjust to their new normal. This executive order shows that North Carolina cares about our workforce and the needed balance between work and family life.” For more information on the order, click here. Employees with specific questions are urged to speak with their agency’s human resources department.

First Clear Pricing Project contracts signed State Treasurer Dale Folwell is moving ahead full steam with the Clear Pricing Project despite continued opposition from hospital executives. The first large providers signed contracts to be “in-network” for the State Health Plan this week. Tryon Medical Partners, the Charlotte region’s largest independent medical practice serving more than 100,00 patients, pledged their commitment to the plan, Folwell said Thursday. Tryon was once part of Atrium’s Mecklenburg Medical Group, but its doctors filed and won a lawsuit in order open their own practice in 2018. Tryon followed Rehabilitation Associates Network (RAN) in endorsing the plan. RAN is the largest independent physical and occupational therapy network in North and South Carolina. It expects the plan to allow its providers to compete with the larger health care providers by evening the playing field. Hospital lobbyists continue to work against the Clear Pricing Project, but their bill, House Bill 184, has yet to move in the Senate after passing the House. HB184 would prevent Folwell from making these much-needed changes, costing taxpayers and plan members more than $300 million next year alone. We need members to continue to reach out to their senators to tell them to side with taxpayers and working families by opposing HB 184. Click below to call or email your senator now. Tell your Senator to oppose HB 184

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Friday, May 31, 2019

Senate prioritizes pay raises for state employees The N.C. Senate passed its budget today that includes the largest two-year pay increase for state employees in more than a decade. It’s the first time that state employees would receive a larger raise than teachers after years of being an afterthought in budget negotiations. SEANC's lobbyists have worked hard to point out the inequity in pay increases to Senate leaders. SEANC was the only association invited to take part in the Senate’s press conference to unveil the proposal on Tuesday. President Jimmy Davis and Executive Director Robert Broome were on hand to point out that state employees had not been made a priority in recent state budgets. "It's not possible to make up for decades of inequity in one year, but you have to start somewhere," Broome told reporters. "The time has come for lawmakers to prioritize the pay of all state employees." Sen. Harry Brown, the head budget writer for the Senate, said over the last five years teachers have received raises of 20 percent, while state workers received 7.6 percent.

Most state employees would receive a 2.5% pay increase in each of the next two years if the proposal passes into law. The UNC System would receive $15 million to pay for raises for its staff, to be determined by the UNC Board of Governors. Correctional officers would receive an additional bump of up to $7,500 depending on the vacancy rates of the prisons in which they work After the press conference, Davis and Broome recorded the message below on the budget for members.

Retirees must act now to show they deserve respect! SEANC does have points of strong disagreement with the Senate budget, though. Like the House, the Senate left retirees out in the cold once again. But we’re not giving up. SEANC’s lobbyists are hard at work asking legislators to respect the retirees who are struggling with rising prices of everything from food to medicine to services by granting a true cost-of-living increase. SEANC asks all members to stand up for retirees by clicking the button below to contact your legislators. Tell them why you think retirees deserve a meaningful raise.

Stand up for retiree respect!

Unexpected proposal would displace 2,000 DHHS workers Another source of contention SEANC has with the Senate’s budget came out of left field once the whole proposal had been published Tuesday night. Tucked away in a few lines of the budget bill was language that will uproot the lives of up to 2,000 state employee families. The proposal includes $250 million to build a new administrative facility in Granville County to house employees who currently work in the Dorothea Dix location in Raleigh. SEANC spoke out against the proposal, which affects more than twice the number of employees impacted by the planned move of DMV headquarters to Rocky Mount. We continue to lobby lawmakers to rethink the plan and keep these employees in Raleigh.

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