U P D AT E
texas state employees union
Vol 32, No 2
communications workers of america, local 6186 / AFL-CIO
november 2013
Let's put the
pieces together
for a better Texas!
www.cwa-tseu.org
feeling the squeeze
S
tate employees are feeling it every day on the front lines: the squeezing
pressure of being asked to do too much with too little. In agencies and
universities across the state our workloads are increasing as Texas’ population
grows and the demand for state services keeps growing with it. Instead of
increasing funding and staffing levels to meet this rising demand, lawmakers have
underfunded our agencies and universities and offered privatization as a solution.
Meanwhile, the average state employee standard of living keeps falling as inflation
rises faster than our pay. For state retirees, the situation is even more dire, since
most retirees haven’t seen an increase in their monthly annuity checks since
2001. On top of all that, out-of-pocket health care costs continue to rise
every year, and lawmakers discuss shifting an even greater cost-burden
onto state employees and retirees in the next legislative session.
The charts on these two pages tell the story: since 1987 inflation has risen
75% while state agency employees have only received across-the-board raises
of 38.4%, and most state university workers have seen only 26.4%. This means that
for most state workers, our standard of living has fallen between 36%-48% since
1987. And in order to provide health care coverage for their family, a state
employee in ERS pays over $480 a month. For a direct care worker in a
State Supported Living Center or a State Hospital, this eats up nearly 40%
of a monthly paycheck, making family health care coverage too costly
for many state workers. When state employees are struggling to make
ends meet and being asked to work harder and longer, the quality
of state services suffers and all Texans lose.
Impact of ERS health care premiums on pay
take home
pay
health care
premium
Monthly health care premiums
after tax
family coverage
actual
take home
Direct Support
Professional I $1,757
$1,243
$480.88
$762
CPS
Specialist II $2,694
$1,906
$480.88
$1,425
$1,932
$1,367
$480.88
$886
Parole
Officer I $2,544
$1,800
$480.88
$1,319
pre-tax
Clerk III
NOTES: Payroll date from October 2013 | Example positions are common positions with many employees in each | Pre-tax salary is minimum gross monthly
salary in those positions | Deductions for take home are: IRS 15%, Social Security
7.6%, ERS pension 6.6% | HC premium is employee share for family coverage
2.
UT System
family
A&M
System
ERS
0.00
19.78
0.00
Subscriber
and Spouse
214.22
256.26
288.02
Subscriber
and Child(ren)
224.05
185.32
192.86
Subscriber
and family
421.86
350.85
480.52
Subscriber
Effective October 1, 2013
TSEU UPDATE
University and state employee pay has not kept up
What’s the solution?
TSEU believes Texas should provide
high quality state services to its citizens:
educating youths, protecting children
and the elderly, caring for the sick and
disabled, and protecting public safety.
Today, our state is far behind where we
need to be. Here is how Texas compares
to other states:
• 50th in state spending per resident
• 50th in mental health services spending
• 49th in spending on public assistance
and Medicaid
• 1st in those without health insurance
• 50th in those with at least a high school
degree
Privatization projects looming
The financial squeeze on state workers is just one aspect of the overall trend,
though. Over the last few decades, legislators in Austin have been trying to undo the
social safety net and let state universities run themselves like giant corporations instead
of public institutions of higher learning. As laid out in more detail in later articles
in this Update, privatization projects are underway in HHSC, DADS, DFPS, DSHS,
TJJD, and state universities across Texas. Instead of fully funding the public good for
the benefit of all Texans, lawmakers are pushing our state into multiple boondoggle
contracts with for-profit companies whose only concern is their bottom-line. These
are not the folks we want caring for the elderly and disabled of Texas, or educating our
kids, or looking after abused children. We’ve seen time and again what happens when
the state contracts with private vendors to take over essential state services.
WE ORGANIZE!
How do we win? TSEU UPDATE
Because Texas is so far behind where it
needs to be in spending on state services,
we are in a situation where 25% of all Texans and 32% of Texas kids live below the
poverty line. In order for this to change,
elected leaders must make a commitment
to our communities by:
• fully funding state services and higher ed
• providing adequate numbers of staff to
do the work that needs to be done,
• compensating state workers fairly for
their hard work in order to attract and
retain quality staff
• ending wasteful privatization projects
that hurt the quality of services and
make it more difficult for Texans to get
the assistance they deserve and need.
This is the sort of Texas we want to live in: one where every
Texan has the opportunity to succeed and can readily get
the help they need when they need it. For that to happen,
we have to fight for it. Just knowing that things aren’t as they
should be isn’t enough; we have to work to make things
better. If state employees want to be a force to be reckoned
with when it comes to these issues, we have to organize.
We must talk to our coworkers and fellow retirees about the
need to join the union and stand together for a better Texas.
There are thousands of state workers sitting on the sidelines as
those of us in TSEU do the work; we have to ask every one of
them to get into the fight by joining the union. If we grow our
movement and continue pushing on our goals, we can win
this fight and make a better Texas for everyone!
3.
2013 Texas COPE Tour
rolls across the state
F
Aransas Pass DFPS member Stephanie Diaz (standing
in back with TSEU's Harrison Hiner) helps sign up coworkers into the union and COPE!
ollowing the conclusion of this year’s legislative session, TSEU began the 2013
Texas COPE Tour. The Tour is a series of organizing events all over the state, aimed
at building our COPE membership and getting more TSEU members politically
active. At these events, TSEU Political Organizer Harrison Hiner gave an in-depth recap
of the legislative session and laid out the framework for our political program moving
forward. After fighting off attacks on our pensions and receiving a disappointing pay
raise, TSEU members were reminded how crucial it is to put more
pro-state employee legislators in the Capitol.
The COPE Tour gave us a head start in building our political
muscle as we move closer to the 2014 elections and on to the
next legislative session in 2015. Events kicked off in July, starting
in the Valley and rolling through El Paso, Dallas-Forth Worth,
Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Lubbock. A
strong network of TSEU activists and members across the state
planned and executed over 50 organizing events at various state
offices and facilities that included HHSC, DFPS, State Supported Living Centers, State Hospitals, Parole and universities. As a
result, 103 members joined COPE and 88 new members joined
Pickwell DFPS/Human Services members present Senator Carlos Uresti with a TSEU
the union. The success of the COPE Tour is a testament to the
Legislative Achievement award during the San Antonio leg of the tour.
organizing and mobilizing capabilities of TSEU. Organizing
efforts like the COPE Tour is what will put state employees in a strong position
heading into the upcoming fights over fair pay, affordable health care, secure
pensions, justice on the job, and quality services.
Valley TSEU members attend the area COPE meeting and hear a
review of the 2013 legislative session.
The COPE Tour also provided opportunities for TSEU to acknowledge
our political allies in this year’s legislative session. Lawmakers who worked
to improve the conditions of state employees and services were presented
with certificates of appreciation at certain COPE Tour events. Rep. Armando
Walle (HD 140) was recognized for working to reduce caseload levels for CPS
employees at an event held at the Murworth DFPS office in Houston. At the
Dallas city-wide Happy Hour, Rep. Toni Rose (HD 110) received a certificate
for her hard work on the House Human Services Committee; along with her
Representatives Toni Rose (left, holding plaque) and Roberto Alonzo (center with
plaque) where honored during a Dallas stop on the COPE Tour.
4.
Harrison Hiner tells an assembled El Paso group at the Mountain View HHSC office
how to gear up for the next election on this stop of the COPE tour.
TSEU UPDATE
Dallas area colleague Rep. Roberto Alonzo (HD 104) who was instrumental in helping
TSEU defeat the worst of the pension attacks. Finally, Sen. Carlos Uresti (SD 19) was
honored at the Pickwell DFPS office in San Antonio for authoring SB 771 which mandates
training for new supervisors working in CPS.
After the completion of a successful COPE Tour, we must direct our sights on the 2014
election season. With momentum in our favor, we have a big opportunity to elect a new
governor and put better lawmakers in office. The COPE Tour has highlighted the fact that
TSEU members are ready and willing to get back on the front lines of this fight and create
a political environment that is beneficial to state employees and the millions of Texans
who rely on the work that we do every day. So get involved in your local organizing and
COPE committees, sign-on to do election work, and above all get more of your coworkers
off the sidelines and into the fight!
At the Murworth DFPS office in Houston, Rep.
Armando Walle (left) was recognized for working to reduce caseloads for FPS employees.
The Committee on Political Education
Yes, I want to help build our political power by joining CWA COPE.
I authorize TSEU to draft my account each month for the amount
that I have indicated and to forward these funds to CWA COPE.
name
_______________________________________________social
mailing address
# __________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
street
/ po box
city
zip
(_____)_____________________________
workphone(_____)_____________________________
___________________________________________
agency/organization____________________________
home phone
email
security
in order to process your application, you must include a voided check
bank name
routing
_____________________________________
# _______________________________________
draft from (check one)
[ ] checking
monthly deduction amount:
for joining, you will receive an incentive
prize - for platinum quorum and triple
quorum, circle the one prize you want.
[ ] savings
cope club
[ ] $5.00 [ ] $10.00
tumbler (red)
bankaddress___________________________________
account#_____________________________________
draft begins month of
_____________________, 20____
platinum quorum
triple quorum
[ ] $20.00
mag-lite solitaire
or stadium blanket (black)
[ ] $30.00
multi-tool
or
12-pack cooler (red)
________________________________________________________________________________________________
signature
date
This authorization is voluntarily made based on my specific understanding that: The signing of this authorization card and the making of contributions
to CWA COPE PC are not conditions of membership in the union nor of employment with the company that I may refuse to do so without fear of reprisal.
TJJD: our agency under attack
Union activists meet with TJJD Executive Director
Griffiths, discuss closures and future of TJJD
O
n August 15th, TSEU union leaders and activists Cora Bennett
(Mart), Mary Henry (Giddings),
Seth Hutchinson (TSEU Vice President), and
Harrison Hiner (TSEU Political Organizer)
met with TJJD Executive Director Mike
Griffiths to discuss the agency’s plan to
close one secure facility and two halfway
houses. The agency was forced to draw up
the closure plan after the State Legislature
mandated that one of the agency’s six remaining large facilities be shut down. They
also slashed an additional $23 million from
TJJD’s budget, which forced the closure of
Beto House in McAllen and Turman House
in Austin. These moves came after the legislature had already closed six facilities and
eliminated close to 2,000 positions from
the agency since 2006. The trend has been
clear, state lawmakers are trying to walk
away entirely from the state’s obligation to
protect public safety by incarcerating and
rehabilitating juvenile offenders.
At the meeting with Griffiths, the
union delegation discussed the closure
plan, the agency’s recent moves to expand
the use of contract facilities, the agency’s
grievance procedure, the plans to imple-
ment shift differential pay, and issues facing case managers in documenting their
work and handling such large caseloads.
Griffiths confirmed that the agency is still
intending to close the Corsicana facility.
TSEU members at the meeting pressed
Griffiths that there was a lot of confusion on the ground with front-line staff,
and that people weren’t being communicated with and were worried about their
jobs and the future of the agency. Union
members also pushed that there should be
recognition of seniority for any displaced
staff from a closed facility who wanted to
apply for a position in another facility.
The TSEU delegation also expressed
concern that the closure of the two halfway houses was moving the agency in the
wrong direction, since halfway houses are
safer for both staff and youth and provide a more intense focus on rehabilitation. Another area of great concern for
union members was the increased use of
contract facilities for youths committed
to TJJD, particularly with G4S and Cornerstone. Union members pointed out
that the agency had a terrible track record
dealing with private contractors (like the
[l-r] Mary Henry (Giddings), Harrison Hiner (TSEU)
and Cora Bennett (Mart)
Coke County and Eagle Lake facilities)
and shouldn’t start down that path again.
Mr. Griffiths was open with the delegation
that TJJD leadership was under enormous
pressure from lawmakers to make drastic
changes. The implication from lawmakers
is that when the Legislature meets again in
2015 they may decide to close down even
more facilities.
For TSEU, the fight couldn’t be clearer:
we have to organize and build our strength
to stop these attacks, otherwise our agency
may be gone in just a few years. We know
the youths in TJJD have serious problems,
and for many of them county government
programs are not suited to meet their
needs, just as TDCJ is not appropriate for
them either. TJJD needs to exist to protect
the public safety of Texas by giving the
worst juvenile offenders a chance to succeed in life before they end up in prison.
Fold into thirds making sure personal information is INSIDE. Seal with tape and send it in!
SSLC/State Hospital activists strategize for victory
Group brings up caucus issues in
meeting with DADS Commissioner
O
n September 7th, TSEU leaders in State Supported Living Centers and State Hospitals from across Texas met
in Austin to discuss current problems at institutions and
how we can organize in our facilities to solve these problems. In
attendance were Joe Gonzalez and Ray Gonzalez (San Antonio State
Hospital), Marina Galvan (San Angelo SSLC), Miree Walker and Patricia
Raven (Lubbock SSLC), Carmen Duron and Rose Soto (Corpus Christi
SSLC), Dwight Gentry (Terrell SH), Dorothy Shannon and David
Veith (San Antonio SSLC), as well as TSEU Executive Board Members
Arthur Valdez (SASH) and Debra Coleman (Brenham SSLC) who both
co-chaired the meeting.
Attendees first reviewed the victories and ongoing projects left
over from the recent legislative session such as TSEU’s attempt to
get hazardous duty pay for direct care workers, stopping closures
of SSLC’s and the privatization of state hospitals, winning a 10%
raise for DSP’s and PNA’s, and the need for a REAL pay raise for
all SSLC/State Hospital staff.
The activists at the meeting had a good discussion on organizing committees, where we have them, why they’re important
in building union power, and where we can establish more. The
attendees from San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Terrell, and San
Angelo all committed to building “City Wide” committees with
TSEU members from other locations.
Debra Coleman gave a summary of the union’s recent meeting with new DADS Commissioner Jon Weizenbaum. The
meeting with Weizenbaum was a success, as members in attendance brought forward proposals to address the serious problems facing SSLC’s such as high turnover, forced holdovers,
unfair terminations of direct care staff, and the need for better
training of front-line supervisors to address issues of nepotism
and favoritism. Commissioner Weizenbaum listened carefully
to the proposals and asked the union delegation make these
meetings a regular event. The caucus attendees also made a goal
to meet with the DSHS commissioner in order to discuss issues
at State Hospitals.
ROC caucus talks retiree issues 
R
OC Caucus attendees: Joe Angulo, Blanca Aleman, and Tina
Belmares (the Valley); Vicky Rodriguez, Rick Provencio (El
Paso); Miguel Torres (Lubbock); Will Rogers, Judy Holloway, Elaine
Blodgett, Leroy Haverlah, Susan Bradley, Steve Bradley, Leslie
Cunningham, Judy Lugo, Tom Herrera (Austin Area); Edna Wiley
(Fort Worth); Rose Egge (Houston). [SEPTEMBER 28 - AUSTIN]
 FPS caucus gets down to business
F
PS Caucus attendees: Sheryl Stoner (Uvalde); DJ Ramirez (Eagle Pass); Jose Gonzalez, Sergio Martinez, Katherine Arredondo, and Claudia Canales-Esquivel (Laredo); Rita O’Brien-Pittard,
Mikayla Baxter and David Mack (Austin); Sonia Samples, Karen
Gafford (San Antonio); William Craven, (Houston); and Susan Rial
(Arlington). [OCTOBER 5 - AUSTIN]
TSEU UPDATE
7.
TSEU activists talk staffing, MTP, and Managed
Care with HHSC Commissioners
T
his October, union activists Judy Lugo
(TSEU President) and Charles Shedd
(Austin); Rossana Garza, Janie Sarabia, Joan Barasch (San Antonio); and Laura
Kendrick (Bryan); met with HHSC Commissioner Kyle Janek, Deputy Commissioner Chris Traylor, and Associate Commissioner Glenda McMillan. The purpose
of the meeting was to express the union’s
concerns about what is happening in our
agencies, particularly with the privatization of the Medical Transportation Program (MTP), Managed Care Expansion in
DADS, and the staffing crisis in Eligibility
Services (OES).
Medical Transportation Program (MTP)
In the meeting, members brought up
the federal moratorium in the Houston
area and the problems that private Medical
Transportation Organizations have had
in Texas and other states. Commissioner
Janek indicated that the agency would
continue to pursue the changes mandated
by Senate Bill 8, and that closer scrutiny
of providers by HHSC would help prevent
fraudulent and unsafe providers from participating in the program. No promises
were made in regards to HHSC employees
whose positions would be eliminated by
the privatization. However, administrators
mentioned the need for state employees to
monitor the MTOs, and expressed an interest in working with employees to find
other positions within HHSC agencies.
Managed Care Expansion
Members also gave examples of how
services have been cut to clients by Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), and the
negative impact on clients and their families.
Members suggested tracking the client outcomes - especially MDCP clients - to gauge
how well MCOs are performing.
Office of Eligibility Services
Staff retention and rising workloads
because of CHIP enrollment were the
major issues addressed by members from
OES. Members discussed that many employees leave the agency for better pay,
and anything that could be done to improve pay would help keep employees
with the agency. Agency administrators
mentioned that they are working to develop a “career-track” that would give
employees more incentive to stay with
the agency. While not an immediate fix,
since funding would have to come from
the Legislature, a “career-track” that rewards tenure and experience could help
slow down staff turnover. Members also
stressed the need to have enough trained
staff to handle the work, since workloads
remain very high and contribute to the
high employee turnover rate.
What’s Next?
Agency administrators suggested regular
meetings between TSEU and the agency as a
way to communicate suggestions, problems,
and issues directly. Human Services Caucus
activists will continue to voice our concerns
with agency leadership, but it’s crucial that
more staff in DADS and HHSC join the
union in order to make sure administrators
know we are united on these issues and are
willing to stand together for them.
Parole caucus leaders
take on challenges
T
he 2013 statewide meeting of the TSEU
Parole Caucus was chaired by TSEU
Executive Board member Micah Haley
(Dallas). In attendance where: Charles Williams, Richard Clements, and Donteak
Stewart (Houston), Jimmie Lou Kimmel
(Lubbock), Dawn Marie Jordan and Josh
Deaver (Amarillo). [AUGUST 24 - AUSTIN]
8.
TSEU UPDATE
University caucus leaders stress
organizing for victory!
I
n August, 13 TSEU activists from eight
different state universities met in Austin for the University Caucus statewide
meeting. In attendance were Kelly Booker,
Judy Holloway, Kathryn Kenefick, Anne
Lewis, Philip Mullins and Will Wise (UTAustin), Karen Charleston (PV A&M), Sean
Ryan (UNT), Richard Markow (UTHSCSA),
Vickie Bell (UT MD Anderson), Mike Torres
(Texas Tech HSC, Lubbock), Kathryn Graf Garcia (U of H), and Selfa Chew (UTEP).
The caucus discussed in detail funding
for higher education, the state employee pay
raise which once again excluded university
workers, university health care funding,
ongoing privatization at many universities, the pension fight, and the defeat of
TSEU’s ‘Competitive Insurance’ bill. It was
determined that the $670 million increase
in higher education funding this session
will do little to offset the devastating cuts
of 2011 or slow down the privatization of
our public universities. Given the amount
of money that was available this session, it
was clear from the report and discussion
that lawmakers largely punted on an opportunity to make an investment in higher
education and university workers. With
this in mind, the group explored the pos-
sibility of filing legislation to ‘sunset’ tuition
deregulation in the next legislative session
to address the decades-long trend of decreasing state support for higher education.
University workers are underrepresented in the Texas Capitol and in order
to change that we must not only increase
university membership within TSEU but
also increase COPE membership within
the university caucus. Activists in attendance committed to putting an emphasis
on asking other members to join the union
and COPE over the coming months.
Anne Lewis led a discussion about the
fight against the privatization, outsourcing,
consolidation, and commercialization of
our public universities. The group discussed the size and scope of the attacks
on university jobs before going around
the room and collecting first-hand reports
about what is happening on each of our
campuses. We discussed our campaign
to thwart these privatization and consolidation attempts by taking up the fight
campus by campus, by increasing public
awareness, and by putting pressure on lawmakers throughout the state. Coming out
of the discussion, everyone in attendance
was unified in our determination to share
the vision broadly with other university
workers to overcome fear, dejection, and
apathy in the workplace and replace it with
an increasing sense of empowerment that
if university workers organize together to
stand up and fight, we can win.
Fold into thirds making sure personal information is INSIDE. Seal with tape and send it in!
TSEU Executive Board
Get recognized
- Sign up a new member!
Jerry Muye, University of Houston. Jerry has been doing great
work on the U of H organizing campaign and getting more of his coworkers involved in the union. He received a TSEU t-shirt for signing up three coworkers. Keep up the good work, Jerry!
• Sign up 1 coworker, get a reusable shopping bag;
• Sign up 3 coworkers, get a t-shirt;
• Sign up 5+ coworkers, get a TSEU briefcase or windbreaker.
TSEU member honored
Jannetta Williams (JCO IV at Brownwood TJJD) has been
given the Texas Corrections Association’s 2013 Outstanding Juvenile Corrections Line Officer of the Year Award. Williams was
recognized for her exemplary work ethic and integrity in her
daily work with youth at the Ron Jackson facility. Ms. Williams
has been a TSEU member since 2010.
Texas AFL-CIO scholarship winners
TSEU is proud to announce that two recipients of Texas AFL-CIO scholarships
are children of TSEU members. Lauren Lord, daughter of Rick and Missy Lord (Missy is a TSEU member at Houston OAG) and James Nelson, the son of Matthew and Louise
Nelson (Louise, a UT-Austin TSEU member) were both awarded scholarships.
TSEU members, and in most cases, their children, are eligible for several scholarships. For more information, contact your TSEU office or go to the TSEU website
under 'FOR TSEU MEMBERS ONLY' and click on 'SCHOLARSHIPS'.
Celebrating Labor Day 2013, TSEU-Style!
This past Labor Day was a chance for TSEU
members to have some fun and build some
solidarity before our push toward the election
season and the other work that lies ahead.
Always one of our most popular events
of the year, parties were held on Labor Day at
TSEU offices in: [left] Houston, [bottom
l-r] Austin and San Antonio. DFW area members combined Labor Day festivities with their
COPE happy hour, held the prior week.
TSEU UPDATE
• Judy Lugo (HHSC, El Paso) President
• Seth Hutchinson (TSEU) Vice-President
• Joanne Day (DSHS, Austin) Secretary
• Anthony Brown (DADS, Houston) Treasurer
• Joe Angulo (UTPA, Edinburg) Region 1
• Arthur Valdez (DSHS, San Antonio) Reg. 2
• Margaret Santillan (HHSC Alpine) Reg. 3
• Micah Haley (TDCJ, Dallas) Region 4
• Stacie Bardshar (HHSC, Tyler) Reg. 5
• Debra Coleman (DADS/Brenham) Region 6 • Samm Almaguer (TWC, Houston) Region 7
• Anne Lewis (UT-Austin) Region 8
TSEU Staff and Offices
Austin 512.448-4225
1700 South 1st Street
Austin, TX 78704
• Seth Hutchinson, Organizing Coordinator
• Jim Branson, Research
• Ron Day, Organizer
• Aron Duhon, Organizer
• Emily Mandell, Organizer
• Albert Sloss, Organizer
• Harrison Hiner, Political Organizer
• Debbie Haun, Office Manager
• John Behr, Membership Office Manager
• Chris Knapp, Publications
San Antonio 210.354-2900
454 Soledad, Suite R-200
San Antonio, TX 78205
• Ted Hooker, Lead Organizer
• Santos Hernandez, Organizer
• Arthur Valdez, Organizer
• Linda Wilson, Organizer
• Eric Murillo, Organizer
Southeast Texas 713.661-9030
9247 South Main
Houston, TX 77025
• Myko Gedutis, Asst. Organizing Coordinator
• Ashira Adwoa, Organizer
• Sean Garcia, Organizer
• Anaid Reyes, Organizer
North Texas 214.942-4305
737 S. RL Thornton Frwy, Ste B
Dallas, TX 75203
• Joe Montemayor, Lead Organizer
• Anitra Patterson, Organizer
• Aimee Twagirumukiza, Organizer
Valley 956.428-0251
801 N. 13th Street, Ste 13
Harlingen, TX 78550
• Ted Hooker, Lead Organizer
• Missy Benavidez, Organizer
• Eric Murillo, Organizer
West Texas 806.741-0044
2002 Avenue J
Lubbock, TX 79405
• Joe Montemayor, Lead Organizer
• Santos Hernandez, Organizer
• Aron Duhon, Organizer
• Emily Mandell, Organizer
• Albert Sloss, Organizer
11.
Texas State Employees Union
NON PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO 1025
AUSTIN, TX
Communications Workers of America, Local 6186
1700 South 1st Street
Austin, TX 78704
Join the TSEU University Alumni Network!
R
ecently, many state universities across Texas have begun to privatize and
contract out thousands of university jobs, as well as lay-off and eliminate
thousands more. Many TSEU members who work in these institutions have
already been affected by these moves and many more will be if we don’t organize and mobilize to stop them. Meanwhile, tuition for students continues to
rise drastically, making a higher education out of reach for many Texas families.
TSEU is calling on university administrators to keep our public universities public by stopping plans to privatize and downsize. TSEU is also pushing state legislators to fully fund state universities so that they can provide a quality higher
education that is affordable for all Texans.
If you are a graduate of a state university in Texas or if you have family members
who currently attend a state university,
please email shutchinson@cwa-tseu.
org with your name and the name of
the university you or your family member attended.
Graduates of these universities can
have an impact on the decisions these
universities make, and we shouldn’t be
shy about letting our alma maters know
what we think of these recent moves.
Joining the TSEU Alumni Network will keep
you in the loop on any privatization efforts
at your former university.
If you attended these university
systems or affiliated institutions,
join the Alumni Network today:
• University of Texas
• Texas A&M
• Texas State University
• University of Houston
• University of North Texas
• Texas Woman’s University
• Texas Tech University
• Texas State Technical College
• Texas Southern University
• Lamar State University
• Tarleton State University
• Sul Ross State University
• San Angelo State University
• Midwestern State University
• Sam Houston State University
Questions or to join the network
email: [email protected]