COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina teachers and state employees plan to gather this weekend to launch a campaign to press for better pay and benefits.
The South Carolina Education Association and the South Carolina State Employees Association will host a rally and mobilization news conference Saturday at 9 a.m. on the north lawn of the Statehouse.
There are no early indications of attendance numbers, organizers said more than 20 organizations are offering their support. Carlton Washington, executive director of the South Carolina State Employees Association, said they want to send a message to citizens and state leaders that the state’s low wages need immediate attention.
Washington said instead of walking out of classrooms, organizers want to walk into discussions with lawmakers.
“We are hoping that this begins a conversation that addresses the crisis,” Washington said. “Bottom line is citizens think they are paying for good government and education.”
According to the South Carolina Department of Administration, 75 percent of all state employees earn less than $41,185 per year.
Gov. Henry McMaster told reporters earlier this week that building the workforce and keeping regulations and taxes low will help solve the problem.
“As prosperity is on the rise, then wages go up as well,” said McMaster, seeking the GOP nomination for a full term in office.
State agency leaders said state employee morale is at its lowest and it’s centered on low paying jobs. State employee morale was the focus of a Senate subcommittee meeting last week when lawmakers questioned Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling almost a month after the deadly riot at Lee Correctional Institute that killed seven inmates and injured 22 others. Stirling told lawmakers during the hearing that employee morale problems are linked to inadequate staffing.
South Carolina Education Association President Bernadette Hampton said low morale, retention and recruitment are also a problem among teachers and support staff and said giving teachers a visible platform to express their concerns is one step in the right direction.
“Our priority is providing the best education for children they serve every day even though South Carolina has not given them what they deserve in terms of salary,” Hampton said. According to the National Education Association, the national average for starting salaries for teachers in 2016-2017 was $38,617. In South Carolina, it was $33,057.
South Carolina Education Superintendent Molly Spearman said she is advocating for a 6 percent pay raise for teacher salaries starting out and a 2 percent raise across the board for all teachers. The state’s budget plan for next fiscal year has yet to be finalized, but members of the House propose a 2 percent pay raise for teachers while the Senate proposes a 1 percent raise.
During a November meeting of House and Senate members on the state pension plan, consultant Neville Kenning of Palm Springs told lawmakers a lag in salaries directly affected recruitment and retention of state employees, and state pay was not competitive. Organizers for the campaign said they want to relaunch that conversation with lawmakers.
“People are fed up with not being treated correctly,” Washington said.
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