What difference can a movement make?

In the face of one of the most difficult legislative sessions for state workers ever, TSEU members did not back down. Whether it was fighting to make our jobs & services better or keeping them from getting worse, union members can take pride in our accomplishments this legislative session.

Legislative actions & victories
We generated thousands of calls and postcards along with hundreds of small-group lobbying visits to our state legislators. While the cuts are severe and will hurt millions of Texans, TSEU fought to reduce the overall damage by nearly half. Plans to cut our health care and pension, to eliminate longevity pay and to authorize furloughs were defeated. TSEU played a pivotal role in building a coalition that united state employees with advocacy, civil rights, religions, and other groups. TSEU’s traditional Lobby Day was built into a coalition effort that turned out 5,000 people and was a turning point.

Our fight is far from over!
We need union members to continue to be engaged in this process; above all, we need state employees and retirees on the sidelines to join TSEU and get involved.
It is imperative that the politicians understand this movement is fueled by a constantly growing organization of people who have demonstrated their commitment to fight back no matter how long it takes.

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(SOME) State Employee Legislative results

State employee health care: No major changes.
The CSHB1 includes roughly the same funding for the ERS health plan as in the previous budget. At this funding level, radical changes, like making employees pay part of the premium for employee coverage, will not be necessary. Another attempt to water down our health care plan with “health savings accounts” was defeated after a bitter battle.

State employee pensions: no major changes.
CSHB1 authorizes a state contribution of 6.0% of each employee’s pay next year, and 6.5% the second year. The employee share will stay constant at 6.5% for ERS and 6.4% for TRS. This breaks a promise made in 2009: the legislation that increased the employee share from 6.0% to 6.5% also stipulated that the state share could not be less than the employee share. However, the changes this year should not have an immediate effect for state employees or retirees.

State employee longevity pay: no changes.
Plans to eliminate longevity pay appear to be dead.

State employee furloughs: dead.
Plans to authorize furloughs (unpaid mandatory time off) appear to be dead.

Human services funding: massive cuts that will affect millions of Texans
This budget cuts about $11.3 billion (17%) from overall spending on the five major human services agencies. Most of the cut is in federal funding that will be lost because of low state funding levels. It is known that the plan includes a $4.8 billion cut in Medicaid funding that would have to be made up in order to meet federal requirements.

State supported living centers: closing plans defeated
A plan to force the closing of two SSLC’s was defeated, along with a plan to create a “realignment commission” that would have had the authority to close facilities. Thousands of Texans with severe and profound levels of mental disabilities depend on these facilities for safe, secure, and supportive living environments that provide the care and programs they need.

State Hospitals: privatization scaled back
A plan to privatize two state hospitals has been down-graded to a plan to privatize one state hospital. While the final plan is still not clear, the Legislative Budget Board recommended that one State Hospital be privatized. The rider also removed language that would set the cost savings threshold too high to attain.

Higher education: cutting the future of Texas
This budget cuts higher education funding by nearly $1 billion, or 4.3%. Since this funding was already at levels that have produced a crisis in our state universities, the new cuts will have a potentially devastating effect. Among the cuts are radical reductions in most state scholarship and student aid programs. Particular cuts to medical education that promoted family physicians and general practice could lead to greater doctor shortages throughout the state.

Criminal justice & corrections
Overall funding is cut by $643 million, or 5.3%. It is not yet known exactly where the cuts are made.

Texas Youth Commission (TYC): more unfunded mandates to counties
Legislation passed earlier this year combines TYC and the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission into a single youth services agency. Legislation also eliminates TYC facilities in Crockett, Beaumont and Brownwood and passes much of the responsibility for dealing with law-enforcement involved youth to the counties, which are not provided with enough new resources to meet the new responsibilities.