Teamsters Local President Mike McGaha requested that all Teamsters Local 391 members take the time Wednesday to call Governor Pat McCrory and request that he either fix the General Assembly budget or veto it.  Teamsters focused telephone calls and emails on House budget writers on Tuesday.

 

Governor McCrory's telephone number is 919-814-2000.  You will have an opportunity to tell a switchboard operator why you are calling.  Be respectful, courteous, yet firm in your message.

It was confirmed yesterday by budget writers that public school teacher assistants, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, and other important employees working to provide a safe learning environment for North Carolina students are slated to earn half the pay raise ($500) than their counterparts in state government ($1,000), an unprecedented decoupling of these two employee groups’ pay structure, at least in recent history.

"We do not understand why an employee in public education, performing the exact same job as an employee in state government, would earn 50 cents on the dollar in a pay increase," said McGaha.  "Under this new pay plan, a custodian or maintenance worker serving the state at the Division of Motor Vehicles will earn a $1,000 pay increase in this budget, while a custodian and maintenance worker serving public school children earns only $500 in a pay increase."  

McGaha is particularly troubled that non-teacher public school workers are the lowest paid employees in all of state government.  Many teacher assistants, bus drivers, custodians and cafeteria workers earn wages below the poverty line and their children qualify for free-and-reduced lunches and Medicaid.  

A flat $1,000 pay increase is not only equitable, it will lift many families financially, and could possibly be a cost savings to the state in other areas of the budget.