Your First Pay Raise

The first pay raise was scheduled to be paid this month, so if you haven't received it yet, we recommend reaching out to your payroll department for clarification. If you got your pay raise, then thank colleagues who are members of TPEA. They helped successfully secure the two pay raises (for all classified non-higher education state employees), along with targeted pay raises for specific agencies. 

Great effort was also put forth to secure funding for the ERS Trust Fund, safeguarding the stability and security of your pension investments. Billions of dollars have been allocated to ensure the strength of your retirement savings. This is crucial for all state employees, especially to those who are vested, ensuring that when you are ready to retire, there will be ample funds available for you. 

Your ERS health insurance funding for both active and retired state employees was also secured by these same people. As a result, ERS announced there will be no rise in premium expenses for HealthSelect participants. However, ERS will have some updates, so check with ERS here.

If you work remotely, there were discussions about changing the remote work policies. However, thanks to our support, encouragement, and data, the proposed changes to remote work policies for state employees did not even materialize.

TPEA supported the passing of the paid parental leave bill (SB 222), ensuring employees a well-deserved 30 days of paid leave after welcoming a new baby into their lives. Moreover, the bill also grants 10 days of paid leave for those who adopt a child, embrace the arrival of a child through a gestational surrogate, or birth of a child by the employee's spouse. This remarkable achievement highlights TPEA's unwavering commitment to supporting state employees in all aspects of their lives. 

These are just a few instances where TPEA championed in the best interest of state employees during this past session. Participation is essential, and it all starts with you. TPEA serves as your voice, working to ensure you remain a top priority with every legislative session. So if you aren't a member yet, consider becoming a member to continue giving your future a voice.

Thank you for your service to the State of Texas.