HOW IT STARTED (last year’s legislative session)
In the closing hours of the 2019 Legislative session, an across the board 2.8% pay raise for state agency employees and additional funding for the ERS pension were stripped from the 2020-21 budget. Earlier, the House passed a budget that included funding for these items, but the while the budget bill was in conference committee to reconcile differences between the Senate and House budgets, funding was stripped. TSEU members immediately mobilized a phone call campaign to legislators. Dozens of TSEU members met at the Capitol on Sunday May 26th to deliver a letter from TSEU President Judy Lugo to all 181 State Representatives and Senators. Despite increasing their own compensation and pensions, Legislators would not be swayed and the budget was passed without across the board pay raises or additional funding for the ERS.
New strategy: Taking the fight to the LBB
Even though the legislative session was over and the state’s budget was already finalized, the Legislative Budget Board retains the power to provide emergency raises and ERS funding at any time. The crisis levels of turnover in all state agencies and the fact that ERS retirees have received no cost of living increases since 2001 means this is an emergency. State employees and retirees can’t afford to wait another two years for the Legislature to take action!
TSEU members began mobilizing members to pressure every state representative and senator to publicly call on the Legislative Budget Board to find the money for our pay raise and pensions. Initial efforts resulted in more than 50 legislators sending letters to the LBB on behalf of state employees and retirees. Still, many of our ‘friends’ in the state capitol failed to act.
Union members up the pressure with statewide rallies, press conferences held in six Texas cities
[Friday, September 6] TSEU members held six rallies and press conferences across Texas to urge elected officials to support emergency funding to provide state worker pay raises and to stabilize the Employees Retirement System (ERS). These events took place in Brownsville, El Paso, Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Over 250 union members attended the six different rallies to express frustration with elected officials for passing over state employees and retirees, while legislators have increased their own pensions and received cost of living adjustments. As of September 1st, it’s been five years since the last pay raise for most state employees and 18 years since the last pension increase for retired state agency employees.
Union members were joined by our allies in the state capitol who called on their colleagues to contact the Legislative Budget Board to address the pay and pension issues. A special thanks goes out to the following for showing their support for state employees at our rallies and press conferences: Austin: Reps. Gina Hinojosa and Vikki Goodwin; Houston: Reps. Gene Wu, Ron Reynolds, and Armando Walle; San Antonio: Rep. Ray Lopez and Senator Jose Menendez; Brownsville: Reps. Alex Dominguez and Eddie Lucio III; El Paso: Rep Lina Ortega; Dallas: Rep Terry Meza.
Day of Action turns up the heat!
[Tuesday, October 15] TSEU held a statewide Day of Action to contact the offices of those legislators who had not sent a letter. In addition to making calls, TSEU R.O.C. (retiree) members also went to the Capitol and to district offices in several cities across Texas to speak with elected leaders in person. These efforts have helped to push the total number of elected officials to contact the LBB to past 70 (see full listing here – can’t find your elected official on that list, call them TODAY).
What’s our next step in the Pay/Pension fight?
Across the state, TSEU members are organizing and mobilizing to win emergency funding for our pay raise and pension plan. Get involved, and keep the pressure on legislators – they need to know state employees and retirees aren’t going to take it anymore! Contact your nearest TSEU office to get involved!