A $6,000 pay raise is needed in order to restoring pay to its ‘87 purchasing power! The message to the state legislature is simple: Rainy Day funding in required to pay state employees what we need and deserve along with stopping record high turnover in our state agencies and universities!
State employees have historically been overlooked for pay raises in the last several legislatures
The last actual ‘real’ pay increase was the $100/month that was given out over fiscal years 2013 and 2014. During the current legislative session, the state must prioritize and PAY state employees! We can’t go another two years without a pay raise!
- 2013: Legislature implements a pay raise for state agency employees. It however is a meager 1% or $50 per month in 2013 and 2% or $50 per month in 2014, not even keeping pace with rising inflation.
- 2015: As a part of the ERS pension funding deal, lawmakers provide a 2.5% raise, but state employees don’t see any of it in their checks because of the increased employee contribution to the pension fund, which went from 2.6% to 6.9% to 9.5%.
- 2017: The final budget did not include a pay raise for state and university employees; despite the all-out effort made by TSEU members throughout the entire legislative process. Information comes to light that over 6,000 state employees and nearly 30,000 children of state employees receive low-income assistance.
- 2019: Texas House proposes an across-the-board pay raise for state agency employees of 3%. It however was matched by a Senate budget that offered only a 1% increase in State Employee Compensation. Before the session wrapped all state employee pay raises were eliminated from the 2019 Texas budget.
Low pay drives high turnover and limits our ability to provide quality state services
Stopping turnover should be a top priority of the Texas Legislature. State employees are the driving force behind critical services to all Texans especially to some of the most vulnerable. To ensure that Texas is able to provide high quality services to its citizens, the legislature needs to appropriate a real across-the-board pay raise for state employees and university workers.
- U.S. Dept of Labor Statistics: In 2013 (the date of the last public employee pay increase) $1.00 was worth approximately $1.11 in 2020. It would take an 11% pay increase to give state employees the same spending power they had in 2015.
- U.S. Census data: In 2013 (the date of the last pay increase) the median household income for a family in Texas was $56,509. In 2019 it was $67,444 . This represents an increase of $10,935.00
- According to the Texas Comptroller: A loss of knowledge, however, is occurring with newer employees – those employed five years or less. In fiscal year 2019, 50.3% of the agency’s turnover came from this group. New employees require extensive time and effort to train before being able to function independently. A high turnover of new employees places a strain on business operations.
- In a State Auditor’s Office survey of 67 agencies: Employees seeking better pay elsewhere was the top reason for turnover.
ACT NOW: Send a ‘Virtual’ Pay Raise Post Card – go to the TSEU Action Network page
Hundreds of TSEU members and allies have sent more than 500 emails to elected leaders demanding a $6000 across-the-board pay raise NOW!
The pandemic has changed so many things about our lives and our union work, but it cannot break our solidarity with one another. While we are apart, we have changed tactics to meet the moment in a number of different ways, from moving meetings online, holding our first virtual convention, and signing members up through our website. Our pay raise postcard campaign is changing with the times too. We are now asking members to send a letter to their state representative and state senator using the link listed above the story title in lieu of passing cards around offices. Our long time activists know that the work isn’t done when you mail your postcard, or when you send an email – we need our members to share this link widely. The thank you screen gives you options to email, tweet, or share the campaign on facebook. These embedded features will make our lives easier, but the most powerful calls to action happen directly. If you haven’t already, consider sending a quick private message, text, or have a one on one conversation with a co-worker you know should send the letter. Organizing is asking, and we need to work together to make sure every state worker and ally gets asked to send a letter – and if you take the next step to ask them to join the union while you’re at it, even better! By taking action together, we can make sure the legislature hears:
STATE EMPLOYEES NEED A PAY RAISE NOW!