State workers rally for better pay, bargaining

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An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Cheryl Moon as Cynthia.

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More than 200 state employees rallied today for higher pay raises than legislative budget proposals currently provide.

The workers are pushing for 3 percent raises, or $1,100, whichever is more, plus one time bonuses of $1,000 bonuses.

Legislators, however, are considering raises of 2.75 percent, or $1,100, for state employees.

The higher base pay raises would cost $8 million beyond the amount budgeted in the legislative proposals, said Dana Cope, executive director of the State Employees Association of North Carolina. The bonuses would cost between $20 million and $25 million.

The 3 percent raises would bring state employees' raises in line with those proposed for teachers.

"Why do we want to split off teachers and state employees?" Cope asked.

The rally featured state employees pounding noise-makers to rousing music and speeches. Pamela Thorpe, a 34-year-old health care technician who works at Central Prison, said state employees need meaningful pay raises.

She was introduced with the song, "She Works Hard for the Money." Thorpe said she could relate to the lyrics.

"It's a stressful environment to work in," she said of her job in the prison. "We work with the most dangerous people in society."

Thorpe, who lives in Garner, said her family struggles to make ends meet even though her husband works two jobs.

"There are times I didn't have money to make it to work," she said. "The gas is too high."

Rep. Ty Harrell, a Raleigh Democrat, drew cheers when he spoke in favor of collective bargaining.

Brenda Hooker, a UNC system employee from Raleigh who took the day off to attend the rally, said employees "don't feel loved by legislators."

"We keep hearing about this rainy day fund for the legislature; well, there's a monsoon where I live," she said.

Hooker said she works two jobs to support her young son, who lacks health insurance.

Cheryl Moon, a retired employee with the state Division of Motor Vehicles, said workers need more than pay raises.

"It's not always about money," she said. "Our voices need to be heard, but legislators don't even give us the opportunity to talk about the things we need like a safe environment, a healthy environment."

SEANC also pushing a bill that would allow collective bargaining for public employees and another that would shift control of the state pension fund away from the state treasurer and to an independent board of trustees.

Linda Sutton, president of the SEANC, said that if the organization's demands aren't met this year, the group will be back next year.

"North Carolina is one of only two states whose public employees don't have collective bargaining. We've got to start rewarding folks who do do their job with a collaborative rather than adversarial effort."