State employees rally for raises

Robert T. Hancock and eight of his co-workers took Tuesday off, left Chesterfield County at 8 a.m. and carpooled to Columbia to track down their legislators.

The Department of Transportation workers were among more than 400 state employees who descended on the State House on Tuesday to plead for pay raises — their first in three years.

Hancock and his buddies wanted to remind lawmakers of their needs and of their service — most recently working through last week’s winter storm, which dumped 10 inches of snow on their county.

“We did our jobs,” said Hancock, a sign foreman. “We got the road cleared for the people. We still commit ourselves to the job.”

Hancock has seen his pay flatten and his insurance cost more than double. “That puts a burden on us.”

The rally was the third in as many years, sponsored by the S.C. State Employees Association.

The 400 employees were joined by 100 state retirees concerned about losing the cost-of-living adjustments on their pensions.

All were protesting the rising cost of state health insurance.

Attendance at the rally has tripled over time as employees have grown more nervous for their jobs, their paychecks and their futures.

Budget cuts have led to down-sizing the state work force — from 66,000 in 2002 to fewer than 63,000 today.

There have been no merit raises or cost-of-living adjustments for state workers since a 2.5 percent raise in 2001-02.

In that same time, health insurance premiums have risen by $1,000 for employees with families and are expected to rise again next year.

House budget writers have proposed a 2 percent raise for employees in next year’s budget, which comes up for debate next week.

For retirees, increasing demands on the state retirement fund have led to concerns about the ability to keep up with inflation.

Workers packed the first floor of the State House for the rally just before the noon start of the legislative session. They waved stickers that read, “State Employees Vote & Pay Taxes.”

Vivian Baxter said every time she gets a check, it is smaller, as health insurance and other deductions get bigger.

“I want to do something to help South Carolina,” said Baxter, a 20-year state employee from Richland County. “I feel like I do it, and I feel like I’m paid poorly for it.”

After the rally, employees climbed the stairs to the State House’s second floor, waiting for their hometown legislators to emerge from the House and Senate.

House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, welcomed employees and reminded them that in tight budget times — the state faces a $350 million shortfall next year — the Legislature is trying to help them.

He said he sympathized with the health insurance crunch, as rising health care costs deal a blow to the otherwise generous state health insurance plan.

“It’s a problem facing all of us, in the public and private sector,” Wilkins said.

Reach Bauerlein at (803) 771-8485 or vbauerlein@thestate.com. Staff writer Jennifer Talhelm contributed to this report.