update - Texas State Employees Union

U P D AT E
texas state employees union
Vol 32, No 1
communications workers of america, local 6186 / AFL-CIO
july 2013
Inside this issue:
83rd Legislative Session Re-Cap
pages 2-5
A
Look Back at Lobby Day
pages 6-7
‘Mini’ lobby days highlight agency issues
pages 8-9
State Hospitals, SSLC’s risk losing medicaid $ Page 9
TSEU’s membership application
Page 10
TSEU’s Statewide Organizing Round-Up
Page 11
www.cwa-tseu.org
Our hard-fought victories
and our ongoing fights
A break-down of the 83rd Legislative Session
O
n January 8, 2013, Texas lawmakers convened for the 83rd
Legislative Session. Going into this
session, most state employees
had gone for four years without a pay increase while state agencies were burdened
with reduced services and low staffing levels
as a result of the drastic budget cuts implemented in the 2011 legislative session when
the state was experiencing a $27 billion
budget shortfall. University employees had
gone without a legislated across-the-board
raise since 2001. This time state lawmakers
would have an $8.8 billion budget surplus
and $11.8 billion available in the Rainy Day
Fund, due to the comptroller’s conservative
budget projections, which fueled the decision to make deep cuts last session.
Since the state’s budget situation had
improved, money was available to restore
the cuts to state services, authorize a competitive pay raise for state employees, and
maintain our benefits. But history has taught
us that the legislature never gives state
employees anything unless state employees
are organized and able to influence legislators through mobilizing around our issues.
Just as we did in 2011, when we stopped
attempts to furlough and cut our pay, TSEU
members across the state organized themselves and co-workers and got involved by
calling and visiting their representatives.
This session, TSEU members participated in over 400 legislative visits at the
capitol, generated thousands of phone calls, and sent 2700 pay raise post
cards. On April 10th, over a thousand TSEU members from all corners of the
state descended on the capitol for the 2013 Lobby Day March and Rally.
Despite the rain and cold weather, TSEU’s presence was in full affect. Following Lobby Day, union members kept the pressure up by participating in
weekly “Lobbying Blitzes” to protect our pensions and push for a pay raise.
We didn’t get everything we wanted this session, but the tremendous work
done by TSEU members pushed the legislature to end the 4 year drought of
no pay raises, fund state employees’ health care plan (no employee premium sharing), and abandoned the idea of converting our pension plans
to defined contribution plans (401k plans).
2.TSEU UPDATE
Miscellaneous bills
HB 480 - Allows up to 8 hours of annual leave to attend educational
activities of their children.
- PASSED
SB 771 - Provides training for DFPS
supervisors before starting the job.
- PASSED
HB 739 and SB 255 - Introduces
Health Savings Accounts into ERS.
- DEFEATED
HB 973 and HB 2444 - Authorizes
public retirement systems to release confidential information on
its participants.
- DEFEATED
Pay Raises
After a hard fought pay raise campaign, all state agency employees not receiving
a targeted raise (details below) will receive a 1% raise or $50 per month minimum in
September 2013 and a 2% raise or $50 per month minimum in September 2014. This
amounts to a 3% or $1200 across-the-board increase over the two year period. Given
the amount of money available in the budget, legislators could have done better! Three
percent is not nearly enough to compensate state employees whose pay has fallen about
36% below the rate of inflation. To add insult to injury, many top agency executives will
receive a 40% pay increase while most state employees have to make do with a mere 3%.
Targeted pay raises will be given to certain state positions in place of the 3%/$1200
across-the-board pay raise. Direct Service Professionals at State Supported Living Centers and Psychiatric Nursing Assistants at State Hospitals will receive a 10% pay increase
(5% in September 2013 and 5% in September 2014) with TJJD Juvenile Correctional
Officers receiving a 5% raise in September 2013. These positions experience some of the
lowest pay and the highest turnover among all state employment.
TSEU members pushed legislators to include Parole Officers in the 5% raise that
TDCJ Correctional Officers are set to receive. Although a Parole Officer raise was not
included, a targeted raise is still possible depending on the total funding the agency receives in the final budget. TSEU will continue to work on this issue.
University employees were once again left out of the pay raise that the legislature authorized for state agency employees. The fight does not end here for an across-the-board
pay raise for university workers. TSEU will now shift the pay raise campaign to the
campus level where we will organize and mobilize to persuade university budget makers to adopt campus-wide across-the-board pay raises rather than use available funds to
implement merit raises. TSEU UPDATE
3.
HB 231 - Suspending ERS annuity
payments for employees who
return to work for the state.
- DEFEATED
HB 291 and HB 2906 - Hiring freeze
of nonessential personnel employed by a state agency.
- DEFEATED
HB 3528 and SB 1766 - The creation of the State Supported Living
Center Realignment Commission
aimed at closing and consolidating state supported living centers.
- DEFEATED
trs and ers pensions
TSEU’s North Texas delegation meet with Rep. Bryan
Hughes (left) at Human Services Mini Lobby Day.
ERS related bills: CSHB 1882 and CSSB 1459: In the latter part of the session,
CSHB 1882(CSSB 1459) and CSHB 1884(CSSB 1458) were passed out of the Senate State
Affairs and House Pension committees. They were initially designed to significantly cut
active employees’ earned retirement benefits for both ERS and TRS members. TSEU
members flooded the capitol with calls and lobbying blitzes to fight the worst elements of
HB 1882. HB 1882 failed on the house floor, opening the door for more improvements
in the Senate version of the bill (CSSB 1459). TSEU and other employee groups mounted
a campaign to change portions of the bill and push the state to put more money into the
fund. Because of the pressure, TSEU was able to stop all the pension benefit cuts from being applied to current state employees and the state has brought up its contribution rate
to its highest level since 1985. And although benefit design changes were made to future
state employees, the overall compromise puts our pension fund on the path to actuarial
soundness. TSEU is committed to restoring certain benefit changes for future employees.
Elements of ERS CSSB 1459
1. All current employees hired before August 31st, 2013 will be grandfathered from
design changes in the pension plan.
2. The state will increase its contribution to 7.5% in 2014 and 2015.
3. Active state employee contributions will be increased over a 4-year period to 7.5%
(employee contributions will increase in 2014 to 6.6%, ‘15 to 6.9%, ‘16 to 7.2%, ‘17 to 7.5%).
Senator Uresti (front right) studies material during
a meeting with members from the DFPS Caucus.
At Lobby Day, members from the Houston area meet
with Rep. Senfronia Thompson (3rd from right).
4. ERS will be required to model TJJD Juvenile Justice Correctional Officers’ induction
into the 20-year LECO Supplemental Retirement Fund.
5. Employees with 5 years in the system, as of 2014, will be grandfathered from the
health care contribution tiering.
6. Benefit plan changes for those hired after August 31, 2013:
• Increase final average salary to 60 months
• Eliminate unused leave (sick & annual) for retirement eligibility
• Disallow annual leave for which employee has been compensated from also being
used in benefit calculation
• Increase the minimum retirement age to 62 with the rule of 80; a 5% annuity reduction each year below age 62 when they retire
• Tiered retiree health care premium contribution from the state: 10 years of service, 50% contribution / 15years, 75% / 20 years, 100%
TRS related bill: CSSB 1458: TSEU, along with our teachers’ union allies, supported changes that exempted most current employees from the pension changes and
provide a COLA to almost all current TRS retirees.
Elements of TRS CSSB 1458:
1. TRS members with at least 5 years of service will be excluded from the benefit changes.
2. TRS members who retired on or before Aug. 31, 2004 will
receive a 3% annuity increase, capped at $100/month.
3. Active state employee contributions will be increased
over a 4-year period to 7.7% (employee contributions will increase in 2014 to 6.4%, 2015 to 6.7%, 2016 to 7.2%, 2017 to 7.7%).
Corpus Christi/Valley members meet with Rep. Abel Herrero during Lobby Day.
4. The state will increase its contribution to 6.8% in 2014
and 2015.
5. Benefit Plan Change: TRS members who are not grandfathered will see an increase in the minimum retirement
age to 62 with the rule of 80; a 2% annuity reduction each
year below age 62 when they retire.
4.TSEU UPDATE
Higher Education Funding
TSEU’s “Fund Our Future” campaign to restore the 2011 higher education funding
cuts spurred mixed results. Overall funding for higher education was increased by $669
million (4.4 %) for the new biennium. This is a restoration of around two-thirds of the
nearly $1 billion that was cut last session. In a vacuum, this might seem like an improvement, however when inflationary operational costs and student enrollment growth are
taken into consideration, Texas has punted on an opportunity to restore higher education
funding. The biggest highlight from this session was that funding for the Texas Grant
Program was increased by 25% to $724.6 million. This is the primary need-based student
financial aid program managed by the state. This increase more than restored the funding
cut from last session and will allow the program to cover 80% of students who qualify.
The Budget
The legislature restored most but not all of the funding and programs that were cut
from state agencies in the previous session. For example, lawmakers increased funding
to the Health and Human Services Commission by nearly $14 billion (40%) from last
session’s budget. Other key agencies such as Department of Family Protective Services,
Department of Aging and Disability Services, Department of State Health Services, and
Texas Department of Criminal Justice all saw increases in their budgets.
Multiple pro-state employee/services riders were included in this session’s budget.
Riders are amendments to the budget that instruct state agencies to carry out certain
duties and functions. Some of these riders include:
• Oversight and guidelines on private contracts in human services agencies
• Night and weekend pay differential for SSLC’s and State Hospitals facilities
• SSLC, State Hospital, and TJJD employees will have access to on-site health care for
injuries sustained on the job
• Instruction for agencies to pay out compensatory time
• On-call pay and relevant college degree pay for certain DFPS jobs
• Long term planning to meet the future funding and infrastructural needs of State Supported Living Centers and State Hospitals State Agency Pay
pension
Pay Raise %
Pay Raise
Minimum
 current
San Antonio SSLC and State Hospital members meet
with their legislator during Mini Lobby Day.
See yourself in a photo or want
a reminder of Lobby Day?
TSEU members can get color jpg versions
of photos in this UPDATE or on the TSEU
website - sizes and quality may vary.
Contact the Austin office for details.
Healthcare Premiums
ERS
Fiscal Year
(begins 9/1)
University/TSEU members outside of the office of the
Texas House Committee on Higher Education.
(ERS HealthSelect)
TRS
State
Contribution
Employee
Contribution
State
Contribution
Employee
Contribution
Employee
Only
Employee
and Spouse
Employee &
Children
Employee
and Family
6.5%
6.5%
6.4%
6.4%
0
$269.20
$180.24
$449.44
 FY 2014
1%
$50/month
7.5%
6.5%
6.8%
6.4%
0
$288.02
$192.86
$480.88
 FY 2015
2%
$50/month
7.5%
6.9%
6.8%
6.7%
0
$308.16
$206.36
$514.52
Moving Forward:
Now that the 2013 legislative session has ended, the work to build our strength for the next legislative session starts! An insufficient $1200 across-the-board pay increase and cuts on retirement
benefits for future employees tell us that most lawmakers still have not gotten the message on
what state employees really need: a real pay raise that keeps up with the rising cost of living
and secure health care and retirement benefits. We must begin the work of pulling more of our
co-workers off the sidelines. That means asking more people to join the union and more TSEU
members getting involved in COPE and in TSEU’s political program. The remarkable work union
members did throughout this year’s session produced significant gains such as increased agency funding, targeted pay increases for some of the lowest paid state employees, defeating the
worst of the pension cuts, and getting the legislature to put more money into the pension fund
than it has since 1985. We are not where we want to be, but we are surely headed in the right
direction. Get involved in COPE and ask your co-worker to join TSEU today!
TSEU UPDATE
5.
state employee
Lobby Day
april 10, 2013 - the capitol
T
SEU’s Lobby Day was nothing short of a major success!
Union members and allies from all over the state converged
on the capitol, marched through the streets of downtown
Austin, rallied on the steps of the capitol, and lobbied in
the halls of the legislature. We were calling on lawmakers to: fund a
flat amount, across-the-board raise, provide a cost-of-living adjustment for all state retirees, protect pension and health care benefits
with no cuts, and restore the disastrous budget cuts of 2011.
Despite terrible rain and cold weather, close to 1,000 participated in the march and rally. Arriving on buses from every corner
of the state, TSEU members were joined by members of many
different unions, advocacy organizations, and community groups
who came out to support our fight for a stronger Texas. Attending organizations participated in the march and rally under the
banner of Texas Forward, a broad coalition of more than 60 organizations, calling on lawmakers to invest in the future of Texas
and fully fund state services.
6.TSEU UPDATE
A
t the rally, speakers made appeals for lawmakers to fully fund state services, as well as
an across-the-board raise for state workers and retirees. Those speakers included [pictured above, l-r] State Rep. Sylvester Turner, Claude
Cummings (CWA Dist. 6 Vice President), State Rep. Armando Walle, Brooks Sunkett (CWA Public Sector Vice
President), Mimi Garcia (Engage Texas/Texas Forward),
Scott Chase (Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce), Cora Bennett (TJJD Case Manager/TSEU member), [in group photo
with tseu’s derrick osobase] Judy Lugo (TSEUPresident),
and Becky Moeller (Texas AFL-CIO President). I
n the halls of the capitol, 18 teams of TSEU members met with 94 legislative
offices. These groups of union members brought a powerful presence to the
capitol, showing lawmakers that state employees and retirees are organized,
numerous, and in need of better pay, benefits, and working conditions.
TSEU UPDATE
7.
University Mini Lobby Day - February 6
Miguel Torres - TTHSC-Lubbock; Veronica Cortes - UTHSCSA,
Joseph Davis - U of H; Karen Charleston - Prairie View A&M;
Elias Cantu - UT Southwestern; Stephanie Jackson, Philip Mullins,
Kathryn Kenefick, Judy Holloway and Anne Lewis - UT Austin.
Family and Protective Services Mini Lobby Day - February 13
Susan Rial, Susan Giles - Ft. Worth; Karen Gafford, Jim Funk - San Antonio; Rita O’Brien-Pittard
- Austin; Stephanie Russell, Dakota Stepney - Dallas; Randy Shell, (retired) Bastrop; Michelle
Copeland, Demetrius Zeno, Christie Fleming - Houston; Stephanie Diaz, Aransas Pass; Jose Gonzalez, Laredo; Lynette McCurdy, Mary Allen, Arlington; Quincy Wagner, Guest.
‘Mini’ Lobby
Days highlight
agency issues
T
SEU caucuses bring together members from
the major agencies, universities and retired
members, within TSEU. Most caucuses organize a Mini Lobby Day during the legislative
session where activists from around Texas meet
in Austin and visit legislators on key caucus issues as well as on TSEU’s broad issues, and help
build momentum for our ‘big’ Lobby Day.
SSLC/State Hospital Mini Lobby Day - March 6
Arthur Valdez, Jose Gonzalez - SASH; Marina Galvan - San Angelo SSLC; Monica Sonier, Paul Eisenhauer, David Veith, Mary
Sposta - San Antonio SSLC; Debra Coleman - Brenham SSLC;
Yolanda White, Ninfa Rodriguez - Lufkin SSLC; Jose Candanoza,
Dawn Smitson - Mexia SSLC; Miree Walker - Lubbock SSLC;
Carmen Duron, Rose Soto - Corpus Christi SSLC.
Human Services Mini Lobby Day - February 20
Samm Almaguer, Shelia Badzioch, Tabiatha Harrison - Houston;
Joan Barasch, Rita Devine, Janie Sarabia - San Antonio; Rodney
Brown, June Manning - Arlington; Yoly Griego, Judy Lugo, Yolanda Suffle-Bowler, Chris Vargas - El Paso; Reuben Leslie, Charles
Shedd - Austin; Margaret Santillan - Alpine.
TJJD Mini Lobby Day February 27
Seth Hutchinson - TSEU Austin and Cora Bennett (Mart
TJJD) meeting with Representative Kyle Kacal
TDCJ Parole Mini Lobby Day -MARCH 20
Charles Williams, Samuel Seahorn, Richard Clements, Donteak Stewart, Jacqueline Chenier
- Houston; Gail Henderson - Bryan; Minnie Carrillo - Lubbock; Micah Haley - Dallas; Allen
Mitchell - Ft. Worth
8.TSEU UPDATE
ROC (Retiree) Mini Lobby Day - march 27
In attendance at the ROC Mini-Lobby Day were: Anitra Patterson, Billie Ray, and Paula Everett - Dallas; Edna Wiley - Fort
Worth; Linda Hernandez - Arlington; Leslie Cunningham, Janet Cook, Stephanie Young, Philip Mullins, Will Rogers, Vicki
Clark-Bradley, Steve Bradley, Janie Aguilar, Hank Leithner, Leroy Haverlah, Tom Herrera, Judy Telecky - Austin; Joe Angulo
- McAllen; Neifa Nacel-Dovalina, Mary Esther Escobedo, Linda
Wilson - San Antonio; Mike Torres - Lubbock; Rick Provencio El Paso; Debra Coleman - Brenham; Tina Belmares - Harlingen;
Jerry Wald, David Wald, Rosalinda Egge, James Nauls - Houston; Edna Guerra, Frances Morrow - Corpus Christi.
State Hospitals, SSLC’s
risk losing medicaid $
F
or years, TSEU has been advocating for more staff and better
facilities to more adequately provide care for individuals with
both mental and physical disabilities. Now, for the third time
in 14 months, the Austin State Supported Living Center is in danger of losing millions of dollars in Medicaid money after a string
of incidents left one resident dead and two severely injured. On
top of this, now the facility has until June 17 to make significant
improvements or it could lose its eligibility for Medicaid funding, which amounts to nearly $29 million of its $50 million annual
budget. If the Federal Government makes good on this promise to
stop funding Austin SSLC, other Centers and Hospitals may be in
danger of losing Medicaid money as well.
The report issued by federal investigators cited short staffing as
a key cause for the problems clients face at the facility. Employees
at the facility told investigators that they worry about their ability
to handle emergencies when they are short-staffed. One worker
said that she “puts her trust in God that nothing would happen
TSEU UPDATE
when there are only two staff in the home.”
This concern over inadequate staffing levels
is in line with previous Department of Justice investigations and reports.
If conditions statewide don’t measure up,
federal investigators can put the State Supported Living Centers and State Hospitals on
90-day Medicaid termination status, meaning that its federal money can be withheld
if problems are not resolved in that threemonth time period. Austin State Supported
Living Center is currently on the clock.
As TSEU has long told legislators and policy-makers, the incidents that have led to this situation are statewide and do have a
remedy. The state needs, above all, to hire more direct care staff
to properly run these facilities and care for individuals, and pay a
wage that keeps people from leaving. The 10% targeted pay raise
for direct care staff that union members won is a big step in the
right direction, but the issue will not be fully solved until the state
hires more staff! TSEU will continue to be a voice for more staffing in order to provide the best possible care for individuals in
state hospitals and SSLC’s.
9.
Texas State Employees Union / CWA
1700 South 1st Street, Austin, Texas 78704
(512) 448-4225
T . I . N . No. 15102561097-001
Section A: Agency Use Only
agency name
agency#
unit#
first active duty date
Section B: Employee Information
name (last, first, mi)
e-mail address (suitable for receiving tseu correspondence)
home street address
home phone
social security
employee id
(
#
#
)
city / state / zip
work phone
(
cell phone )
/ univ.
facility
/ dept / unit
job title
agency
prog
(
)
/ location
N
work hours
U
RRRR
ORG: __________
Section C: Membership and Authorization
Membership dues and effective date of payroll deduction: the 1st day of ___________, 20___
(month)
$16 - salary below $20,000 $19 - salary $20,000 - $25,000 $22 - salary $25,000 - $30,000
$25 - salary over $30,000 other$­­­­_______
AUTHORIZATION: I authorize the monthly deduction from my salary or wages for membership
dues to TSEU. I understand that I may revoke this authorization at any time by written notice.
____________________________________________________________________________ employee signature date
I agree to comply with the rules adopted by the Comptroller concerning deductions for membership dues.
U
•Judy Lugo (HHSC, El Paso) President
•Joanne Day (DSHS, Austin) Secretary
•Anthony Brown (DADS, Houston) Treasurer
•Joe Angulo (UTPA, Edinburg) Region 1
•Arthur Valdez (DSHS, San Antonio) Reg. 2
•Margaret Santillan (HHSC Alpine) Reg. 3
•Micah Haley (TDCJ, Dallas) Region 4
•Stacie Bardshar (HHSC, Tyler) Reg. 5
•Debra Coleman (DADS/Brenham) Region 6 •Samm Almaguer (TWC, Houston) Region 7
•Anne Lewis (UT-Austin) Region 8
up
Statewid
TSEU Executive Board
g Round
in
e
Organiz
TSEU Staff and Offices
TSE
 Judith Foster, Brittney Cowan, and
Brook Wilson of the Austin Airport
Commerce FPS office. Brittney joined
the union after TSEU members Judith
and Brook told her how important it
was to have a voice at work.
 At a recent information and sign-up
table held at Giddings TJJD, eight new
members joined the union! Case Manager Mary Henry (pictured above joining COPE) helped with signing up the
new members.
 Abiliene State Supported Living Center: Responding to the call to fight for better
pay and benefits for all state workers, 12 new members joined the union on February 21st at the Abilene State Supported Living Center. At that time, members were
energized by the possibility of winning a much-needed across-the-board raise for
all state workers. Members Jeff Banks, Neesa Love, and Kenny Dry all committed
to circulating pay raise postcards, asking members to come to Lobby Day on April
10th, and collecting ERS ballots for Elias McClellan. Over 150 pay raise postcards
were collected that day and were subsequently mailed to Abilene area legislators.
Spotlight Organizing Event - On May 30, Lufkin
SSLC members held their annual Spring Picnic. Yolanda
White, Ninfa Rodriguez, Loretta Morrison, Janette Doyle, Sonia Johnson, Pam Baird, Charlotte Jeffries, Susan Woltz and
many more distributed fliers, brought co-workers to sign-up
at the information table and talked to folks about what TSEU
members did to win the pay raise and secure our pension. By
the end of the day 22 new members had joined the union! 
Austin 512.448-4225
1700 South 1st Street
Austin, TX 78704
• Seth Hutchinson, Organizing Coordinator
•Jim Branson, Research
•Ron Day, Organizer
•Aron Duhon, Organizer
•Emily Mandell, Organizer
•Albert Sloss, Organizer
•Derrick Osobase, Political Director
•Harrison Hiner, Legislative Aide
•Debbie Haun, Office Manager
•John Behr, Membership Office Manager
•Dulce Aguilar, Membership Office
•Chris Knapp, Publications
San Antonio 210.354-2900
454 Soledad, Suite R-200
San Antonio, TX 78205
•Ted Hooker, Lead Organizer
•Santos Hernandez, Organizer
•Arthur Valdez, Organizer
•Linda Wilson, Organizer
•Eric Murillo, Organizer
Southeast Texas 713.661-9030
9247 South Main
Houston, TX 77025
•Myko Gedutis, Asst. Organizing Coordinator
•Jamie Berry, Organizer
•Ashira Adwoa, Organizer
•Sean Garcia, Organizer
 South Texas organizing climbing! Members of the Del Rio
HHSC Organizing Committee [l-r]: Velma Valdez, Adriana
Gavirio, Geney Mendoza, and Petra Barbery have committed
to keeping the momentum going strong throughout the summer! North Texas 214.942-4305
737 S. RL Thornton Frwy, Ste B
Dallas, TX 75203
•Joe Montemayor, Lead Organizer
•Anitra Patterson, Organizer
•Molly Diamond-Ramirez, Organizer
Valley 956.428-0251
801 N. 13th Street, Ste 13
Harlingen, TX 78550
Last month, union members in Denton held an information
and sign-up table at the Denton Jazz Fest. Many workers and
union members stopped by to visit and get caught up with the
legislative session. Eight new members joined. Congratulations to the Denton Area Organizing committee (George Sheffield, Francisco Santillan, Amanda Craver, Sean Ryan, Sandy
Sage, Roy Ann Cox, Sandy Swan, Derrick Williams, Chuck
Norton, Mark Davis, Phillip and Lesley Lynch); together
they are working to make TSEU a force within Denton! 
•Ted Hooker, Lead Organizer
•Eric Murillo, Organizer
West Texas 806.741-0044
2002 Avenue J
Lubbock, TX 79405
•Joe Montemayor, Lead Organizer
•Santos Hernandez, Organizer
•Aron Duhon, Organizer
•Emily Mandell, Organizer
TSEU Is Going Green!
In an effort to reduce our paper usage and lessen our carbon footprint,
TSEU will be “Going Green”. Starting in August, our monthly newsletter will be available digitally. Every
member for whom we have a correct email address will stop receiving a paper copy of our monthly
area newsletter and will begin receiving the electronic version through email. This will not apply to the
UPDATE - all members will continue to receive the UPDATE through the mail. If we do not have a correct
email address for you, you can expect to still get the same paper version. If you wish to continue receiving the paper newsletter, contact your local TSEU office and ask them to keep sending you the paper
copy; also, update your email address if you are not currently receiving electronic correspondence.
TSEU UPDATE
11.
Under fire from ALL directions, university workers must ORGANIZE
T
he 83rd Legislative session will stand as a memorable one for survive the axe will have to work more for less pay.
higher education employees. TSEU called on lawmakers this How do we change this? WE MUST ORGANIZE! Universession to Fund Our Future, and the legislature effectively said sity workers are under-represented in the Capitol and on our
campuses. This has to change! In order to slow down privatiza“no thanks, let the universities fund it themselves.” University budget makers have been making plans to do just tion and consolidation attempts and to ensure that across-theboard, flat amount pay raises are allocated
that. However, for front-line workers –
over the next two years, we need to bring
there is a good chance that their plan does
TSEU called on lawmakers this
hundreds, if not thousands, of university
not include you. Thousands of positions
session to Fund Our Future, and
workers off of the sidelines.
have already been eliminated since Septhe legislature effectively said
Union committees at several of our
tember 2011 and plans are being developed
“no thanks, let the universities
fund it themselves.”
campuses are organizing and mobilizing
to eliminate thousands more as a result of
around both anti-privatization and pay
Texas’ disinvestment in public higher education. More and more, universities are moving to imitate the raise campaigns. This is a critical moment for university workers
market “efficiency” practices of for-profit businesses to make up and the future of public higher education in Texas. By working
together and building our strength, TSEU can seize this moment
for the lack of state support. To make matters worse, once again, university employees to keep our public universities public.
were not included in the 3% ($1200 minimum) raise budgeted
for state agency workers. Increases to university salaries will upcoming university events:
• August 17 - University Caucus Statewide Meeting (in Austin)
be decided on a campus-by-campus basis. If awarding pay raises through ‘merit’ pools continues, many frontline university
We will coordinate the first-line of defense against university
workers will go another two years without a desperately needed
privatization. Contact your TSEU organizer for information
cost-of-living raise. University workers are under fire from all
• August 18-31 - University Organizing Blitz
directions as plans are made to cut thousands of frontline emMembers across the state will be holding events to strengthen
ployees in the next two years, and those fortunate enough to
our collective voice by building the union.
See yourself in a photo or want
a reminder of Lobby Day?
TSEU members can get color jpg versions
of photos in this UPDATE or on the TSEU
website - sizes and quality may vary.
Contact the Austin office for details.
TSEU UPDATE
12.