The advocacy group for state employees says the House and Senate’s proposed raises aren’t enough to fix a shortage of workers.
House and Senate leaders are considering raises between 2.5 percent and just over 4 percent. The State Employees Association of North Carolina, or SEANC, is lobbying hard for a 5 percent raise, along with a $5,000 retention bonus.
Executive director Ardis Watkins told the WUNC Politics Podcast that the bigger raises would address a situation where a quarter of state government jobs are vacant.
"So, it’s no longer, this isn’t just about doing the right thing by your employees," she said, "This is about whether we’re doing the right thing by the citizens, and we’re not. If we’re delivering 75 percent of the services for 100 percent of the taxes, that’s a miss."
Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson says he’s struggling to hire workplace safety inspectors, and more workers could die on the job if those jobs stay vacant.
"There’s not a lot that keeps me up at night," he said, "But that one does.