Today Gov. Pat McCrory released his biennium budget proposal for 2015-2017. The proposal contains a pay increase for some, but not all state employees, and no cost-of-living increase for retirees. It is SEANC’s goal to improve these numbers as the budget process continues in the General Assembly. 

In order to make that goal a reality, every member will have to make their voice heard by contacting their lawmakers.

The administration rationalized their piecemeal approach to funding pay raises as money “better spent in hard to fill positions. Targeted [pay raises] is better-than-across the board to attract retain and motivate state employees.” 

Lawmakers need to be reminded that just last week while others slept in their warm beds and played in the snow, state employees worked around the clock. State employees were heroes during wintry weather—the Department of Transportation cleared snow off roads in dangerous, icy conditions, State Highway Patrol officers helped citizens in thousands of accidents and emergency management personnel manned the state operations center and kept the public informed as winter storms moved through the area. 

While the storm was wreaking havoc across the Old North State, it was business as usual for front-line state employees who make North Carolina work. State employees were helping patients recover from mental illness and substance abuse at health and human services facilities such as Broughton Hospital. Prisons continued to operate and the public was kept safe from dangerous felons at Central Prison, Polk and Alexander prisons to name but a few.

This snow storm is a reminder that it is important to invest in public services and the people who provide them. We will be working with the General Assembly to ensure that state employees’ and retirees’ employer, the State of North Carolina, will follow the golden rule and treat its employees the way they treated the state during the storm, in this year’s budget. They all deserve a pay raise that demonstrates dedication, respect and a recognition that the cost of living is increasing not just for a selected few, but for everybody. What happened that last week’s heroes could translate into this week’s budget zeros?

McCrory’s recommendations include the following provisions:

Pay

• State Highway Patrol Troopers-who are not at the top of their pay range, a 5% step increase in each year of the biennium
• Correctional Officers-Reclassifies 10,000 correctional officers with new pay levels dependent on different job duties and risks associated with higher-security prisons. Proposes $20.79 million in 2016-2017.
• Salary and Market-Based Pay Adjustment Fund-To adjust salaries where employee pay is below market level and where the state is having difficulty recruiting and retaining employees. Proposes $10 million in 2015-2016 and $72 million in 2016-2017. 

Jobs

• Adds 66 positions to fully staff mental health beds at Central Prison Health Care Facility
• State parks, the N.C. Zoo, aquariums, Natural Science museum employees transfer from DENR to Cultural Resources 

Health Care

• Fully funds the State Health Plan for active and retired employees to reflect 2016 changes. Proposal funds SHP at $34 million in 2015-2016 and $101,867,946 in 2016-2017. 

Retirement

• Fully funds the retirement system. However, the proposal takes away $33.5 million that could have been used for retiree COLAs. 

Now is the time to contact your lawmakers. This is not the final budget; it is the beginning of the budget process. Make your voice heard on the need for all state employees to receive a pay raise and all retirees to receive a cost-of-living increase. Together, we will work to increase your pay and benefits in the General Assembly, but we need all hands on deck — starting now. 

Sincerely,

Mitch Leonard

SEANC Interim Executive Director