S.C. governor candidates address state workers on plans to boost pay

With three-point plans and threats of vetoes, candidates running for South Carolina governor — on both sides of the aisle — pledged to resolve pension and funding woes for state workers.

"State employees are getting screwed," Democrat and Charleston businessman Phil Noble told a crowd of more than 200 state employees and retirees.

Four of the eight candidates running for S.C. governor in the June 12 primary spoke at a candidate forum Saturday in Columbia hosted by the S.C. State Employees Association as part of its 72nd annual meeting.

Democrats Noble, James Smith and Marguerite Willis and Republican Lt. Gov. Kevin Bryant attended.

All candidates running for South Carolina governor were invited to speak.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and former Lt. Gov. Yancey McGill, both Republicans, had scheduling conflicts, according to association officials. Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Catherine Templeton and John Warren did not attend.

Noble outlined a three-point plan to reform the state employees' compensation system, including pledging to push for a mandated 15 percent increase in state salaries over the next four years.

A 2016 state study found state workers' pay lags 15 percent behind that of other states and 18 percent behind the private sector.

South Carolina's average teacher pay — $48,769 — falls below the Southeastern average, and new teachers earn about $30,100.

Overall, nearly 40,000 full-time state workers earn $50,000 or less. Half earn less than about $34,000 a year, according to the state Department of Administration.

"The second thing we should do is sit down with state employees to develop a legally binding plan to make state employees' overall compensation roughly equal to or better than the other Southeastern states within five years," Noble said.

If it's not fully funded by the end of the fifth year, Noble said, state legislators' salaries should be withheld.

"You should get rowdy," Noble told the crowd of state employees and retirees. "You should misbehave. … I want you to raise hell. I want you to demand more ... because you deserve more."

Willis said that as governor she would veto any bill that threatens the livelihood of state employees or the health of their pensions by switching to a defined contribution plan. She also said she would veto any budget bill that does not provide state workers fair compensation.

"But my No. 1 job is to bring more revenue into this state, and (I) will be relentless in recruiting industry," Willis said. "I promise to bring more jobs in this state to create more revenue to have money to fund your salary increases and to pay for your retirement."

Smith, D-Richland, said that as governor he would establish a commission "to build consensus and support" around implementing recommendations included in the 2016 Classification and Pay Study.

He also took aim at $3 billion worth of sales tax exemptions for corporations he argued could help fix state employee pay.

"I think they're largely arbitrary and capricious," Smith said after the forum. "I believe we need to have a top-down review of those exemptions and see if some of them should be eliminated."

The state's second-largest teachers association on Friday endorsed Smith's bid to become South Carolina's next governor.

Bryant pushed for block grants to school districts "so we can pay teachers more," and noted past votes for salary increases.

"The problem we have is Columbia has a terrible problem of micromanaging the classroom," Bryant said before the forum. "I'm for more local control."

The association, which does not endorse candidates, has sent a letter to McMaster calling on the governor to hold a summit with leaders of the association and state budget writers to address findings and recommendations in the 2016 pay study.

"We are in a crisis and we need to address that issue before anything else," said Carlton Washington, head of the S.C. State Employees Association. "Most state employees have a technical degree or a four-year degree, but they're not even at the midpoint of their salary range," and are forced to work two jobs to make ends meet.

John McCall, 70, of Aiken, retired in January following a 42-year career with the S.C. Department of Corrections. McCall said state workers have long been ignored, pointing to the lack of legislative action that followed the 2016 study.

"I think the state is digging itself into a hole," he said. "If they don't do something about it pretty soon, somewhere down the line they're going to have to pay for it. You can't just keep doing that without it having an impact on your ability to recruit and retain."

One in four jobs for guards is vacant at Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, where one of the nation's deadliest prison riots broke out in April. And the state is dealing with an ongoing teacher shortage, a result, in part, of low pay and demanding teaching requirements.

"Each (one of the candidates) had something to say that I think is relevant to the situation in South Carolina right now," McCall said.

This story was originally published June 2, 2018 at 2:06 PM with the headline "S.C. governor candidates address state workers on plans to boost pay."