In 2021, an increasingly anti-democratic, Republican-led Texas Legislature took steps to consolidate and entrench Republican control. Despite efforts by the Democratic minority to resist, voter suppression bills and partisan redistricting maps were passed into law. TSEU members across Texas turned out to work on statewide campaigns, in addition to targeted legislative races such as House District 70, 118, 37 and Senate District 27. Ultimately, the new maps and voting laws passed in the 87th legislature did what they were intended to do: maintain Republican power. However, despite the heavily stacked odds, the work of TSEU members directly resulted in victories for TSEU member Mihaela Plesa in HD 70 and Morgan LaMantia in Senate District 27. Both candidates strongly support TSEU’s goals, and their wins were real victories for TSEU.
The 88th Texas Legislature opens on January 10, 2023. Momentum is building for TSEU goals of an across the board pay raise and a long overdue COLA for retirees. The budget surplus estimate is currently $27 billion in general revenue and $14.1 billion in the Rainy Day fund.
At the same time, state agency turnover has risen to an all-time high of 22.7%, according to the most recent State Auditor’s report. Unsurprisingly, state employees cited pay and benefits as the main reason for leaving state service. State employees have not received a pay raise since 2013, and state retirees have not seen a cost-of-living adjustment for over 20 years.
The time for a real, meaningful, across-the-board pay raise and a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for state retirees is NOW! TSEU has worked with Rep. John Bucy to file HB202 which calls for a $10,000 pay raise for all state agency and university employees. TSEU is championing a COLA bill that raises the retiree pension multiplier from 2.3% to 2.7%, which would increase the average annuity by about 17% or around $308 a month.
This session is ripe for victories for State Employees and Retirees. We know that organizing and mobilizing are the keys to winning! We must continue to build our union’s strength by asking our co-workers and fellow retirees to join TSEU and our CWA Political Action Fund (PAF), plan to attend our caucus Mini-Lobby Day, and buy a ticket to attend TSEU’s Lobby Day on April 12!