2021 Legislative Goals – TSEU-CWA 6186

Overall State Employee legislative goals

Fair pay for all state employees! Fund a minimum $6,000/year or $500/month pay raise for every state employee.
Ensure quality, affordable health care and secure pensions for state employees, retirees, and their dependents, including domestic partners, regardless of gender.
Oppose and reverse privatization.
Fully fund all state agencies and universities.
Preserve and expand state employees’ rights to justice on the job

TSEU Agency/University Caucus legislative goals

TJJD Caucus

Take steps to prevent agency turnover including: Opposing closures of TJJD facilities and privatization, full funding, hiring additional staff to cover workloads and shift standards.
Include Youth Development Coaches and other hazardous positions in the LECOSRF 20-year retirement plan.
Allow for Justice on the job: hazard pay, PPE, and other safety measures, a cross-agency CAPPS review and feedback that does not penalize individual agencies.
Transparency in agency and facility re-organization with due process.

R.O.C. Retiree Caucus

Enact pension increases for ERS and TRS that reflect the cost of living since 2001 by making an immediate cash infusion; fully fund the state pension system; provide ongoing cost of living increases.
Oppose any conversion to defined contribution plans for pensions or healthcare.
Continue payroll deduction of union dues for ERS retirees and active state employees.
Allow retirees who worked for the State of Texas to serve on the ERS Board, including trustees already serving to continue on the Board after they retire.

DFPS Caucus

The agency MUST stop staff turnover and retain staff by funding healthcare benefits, across the board pay raises for all staff, payment of all overtime compensation, compensation for bilingual and interpretive staff, compensation for level of education, establishing a career ladder for all staff, job parity for APS, SWI, and support staff, and continuing to fund retirement benefits.
Restore needed funding for client services and stop the privatization of FPS programs protecting children and adults.
Adopt the same caseload standards as recommended by the NAEYC, NAAPSA, CWLA, and TDPRS. Decrease wait time at Statewide intake to an average of 5 minutes.

HHSC Caucus

Oppose and roll back privatization and closures of human services offices and programs while increasing oversight and accountability of current HHSC contracts.
Maintain and increase staffing to deal with both existing and projected growth and enact an across-the-board career ladder in order to stop turnover.
Demand the state provide the tools and flexibility to complete our work: safe and sanitary work environments, adequate training and support for all employees, including Management and Support Staff, realistic work expectations, and an effective grievance procedure.
Create comprehensive plans to prepare for future emergencies that include telework.

University Caucus

Restore state funding of each university/health science center to minimum 25%, and use the rainy-day fund to preserve university jobs and services.
All university/health science center employees—including part-time, adjunct, and graduate-workers—should receive the same benefits as other state employees, such as a pension, years of service accrual, across the board pay raises, and in every way be considered state workers.
Repeal HB 3015; re-regulate tuition for all students, and offer full tuition reimbursement for all student workers.
Provide full healthcare, including gender-affirming care, for university/health science center employees working 50% or more, and expand Medicaid to protect part-time workers.

SSLC/St Hosp. Caucus

High risk duty pay for ALL public sector workers serving special populations.
Public sector facilities serving special populations will maintain sufficient staffing levels to eliminate the need for mandatory overtime.
Mandate that each facility be equipped with adequate essential PPE equipment and Infection Control Protocols to safeguard all facility workers in accordance with current CDC guidelines.

Amalgamated Caucus

Ensure better access to state agencies to protect speech and assembly rights for state employees.
Career ladders created for all state employees.
Preserve longevity pay.

TDCJ-Parole Caucus

Reduce the turnover rates by enacting a $6000 across the board pay raise for all TDCJ Parole staff.
Reduce turnover by hiring additional staff to bring parole officers to a legislated 60:1 caseload.
TDCJ clerical staff is our front line of defense and need to be paid fairly for the work that they do.

TWC Caucus

Hazard pay and personal protective equipment for workers required to report to work in person provided by TWC.
Set up career ladder based on classification and years of service and include all state agency and university workers in across the board pay raises.
Stop further privatization because it promotes inefficiencies, fraud, and cost overruns.

Overall State Employee legislative goals

Fair pay for all state employees! Fund a minimum $6,000/year or $500/month pay raise for every state employee.

Ensure quality, affordable health care and secure pensions for state employees, retirees, and their dependents, including domestic partners, regardless of gender.

Oppose and reverse privatization.

Fully fund all state agencies and universities.

Preserve and expand state employees’ rights to justice on the job

TSEU Agency/University Caucus legislative goals

TJJD Caucus

Take steps to prevent agency turnover including: Opposing closures of TJJD facilities and privatization, full funding, hiring additional staff to cover workloads and shift standards.

Include Youth Development Coaches and other hazardous positions in the LECOSRF 20-year retirement plan.

Allow for Justice on the job: hazard pay, PPE, and other safety measures, a cross-agency CAPPS review and feedback that does not penalize individual agencies.

Transparency in agency and facility re-organization with due process.

R.O.C. Retiree Caucus

Enact pension increases for ERS and TRS that reflect the cost of living since 2001 by making an immediate cash infusion; fully fund the state pension system; provide ongoing cost of living increases.

Oppose any conversion to defined contribution plans for pensions or healthcare.

Continue payroll deduction of union dues for ERS retirees and active state employees.

Allow retirees who worked for the State of Texas to serve on the ERS Board, including trustees already serving to continue on the Board after they retire.

DFPS Caucus

Restore needed funding for client services and stop the privatization of FPS programs protecting children and adults.

Adopt the same caseload standards as recommended by the NAEYC, NAAPSA, CWLA, and TDPRS. Decrease wait time at Statewide intake to an average of 5 minutes.

HHSC Caucus

Oppose and roll back privatization and closures of human services offices and programs while increasing oversight and accountability of current HHSC contracts.

Maintain and increase staffing to deal with both existing and projected growth and enact an across-the-board career ladder in order to stop turnover.

Demand the state provide the tools and flexibility to complete our work: safe and sanitary work environments, adequate training and support for all employees, including Management and Support Staff, realistic work expectations, and an effective grievance procedure.

Create comprehensive plans to prepare for future emergencies that include telework.

University Caucus

Restore state funding of each university/health science center to minimum 25%, and use the rainy-day fund to preserve university jobs and services.

All university/health science center employees—including part-time, adjunct, and graduate-workers—should receive the same benefits as other state employees, such as a pension, years of service accrual, across the board pay raises, and in every way be considered state workers.

Repeal HB 3015; re-regulate tuition for all students, and offer full tuition reimbursement for all student workers.

Provide full healthcare, including gender-affirming care, for university/health science center employees working 50% or more, and expand Medicaid to protect part-time workers.

SSLC/St Hosp. Caucus

High risk duty pay for ALL public sector workers serving special populations.

Public sector facilities serving special populations will maintain sufficient staffing levels to eliminate the need for mandatory overtime.

Mandate that each facility be equipped with adequate essential PPE equipment and Infection Control Protocols to safeguard all facility workers in accordance with current CDC guidelines.

Amalgamated Caucus

Ensure better access to state agencies to protect speech and assembly rights for state employees.

Career ladders created for all state employees.

Preserve longevity pay.

TDCJ-Parole Caucus

Reduce the turnover rates by enacting a $6000 across the board pay raise for all TDCJ Parole staff.

Reduce turnover by hiring additional staff to bring parole officers to a legislated 60:1 caseload.

TDCJ clerical staff is our front line of defense and need to be paid fairly for the work that they do.

TWC Caucus

Hazard pay and personal protective equipment for workers required to report to work in person provided by TWC.

Set up career ladder based on classification and years of service and include all state agency and university workers in across the board pay raises.

Stop further privatization because it promotes inefficiencies, fraud, and cost overruns.