We are TSEU members who work in the Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of Aging and Disability Services CCAD program. We are building a strong union in our workplaces to fight for:
1. Better pay and benefits to attract and retain quality staff. State employee pay has lagged far behind the rising cost-of-living. It would take a pay raise of more than $8700/year for the average state worker to regain their 1987 standard-of-living.
2. Increased staffing levels. A combination of factors such as the recent economic recession, the rapidly growing Texas population, increased Medicaid eligibility because of the Affordable Care Act, and increased data entry requirements have meant a growing need for more eligibility staff.
3. Stopping privatization. The state has repeatedly experimented with privatizing eligibility services and the CCAD program. These experiments have and will inevitably lead to failure in delivering critical social services to Texas families in need.
