Latest news with #CharlesOwens
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Carolina needs more public employees, not fewer
North Carolina House Republicans unveiled their version of a new state budget this week, and while it included some improvements over the Senate version – a somewhat slower approach to cutting taxes, slightly better salaries for new teachers – the plan swings and misses by proposing to slash 3,000 state government jobs. The authors of the plan say most of the positions are vacant anyway, but of course, that's something that's mostly attributable to lousy pay, benefits, and working conditions. As Charles Owens — a health care technician at the Cherry Hospital psychiatric facility in Goldsboro – explained at a Raleigh press conference, the state's mental health facilities are already down hundreds of essential positions. And that reality presents a big daily safety problem for him and the other workers who remain. The same is true for guards and other employees throughout the state's prison system. The bottom line: North Carolina is a big and fast growing state that needs more state employees to provide essential public services – not fewer. State lawmakers need to wake up to this reality. For NC Newsline, I'm Rob Schofield.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC workers join together to call on lawmakers to address some of their biggest needs
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Dozens of state union workers gathered in front of the State Legislative Building in Raleigh on Tuesday for Political Action Day. As the General Assembly works on the state budget, union workers with UE 150 made sure they weren't forgotten about. Workers from Kinston to Morganton were in attendance to discuss understaffing in state facilities and how they're working with legislators to pass the budget for Fiscal Year 2026. The group is asking state leaders for a list of needs. That includes filling a $1.2 billion budget gap in the State Health Plan. 'The State must invest into the huge State Health Plan budget gap, and significant pay raises for state workers and retirees this year,' said Sekia Royall, a cook at O'Berry Neuromedical Treatment Center in Goldsboro and past president of UE150. UE 150 is also asking for an increase in state wages. The group says they want to see a $25 an hour minimum wage for state employees, that is a 20% increase in salary. 'Minimum wage is still $7.25, who's supposed to live off that?' said Charles Owens, Healthcare Tech with Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro. When it comes to UNC system workers, they're also asking to create sanctuary status to protect undocumented workers and students from federal enforcement agents. Overall, the organization says state employees are working in areas that are incredibly understaffed. William Young, a cook at Cherry Hospital, has seen it first hand. 'I work at a hospital and a lot of hospital workers are working long hours and not getting paid enough money and just absolutely getting stressed out,' said Young. You can view the full list of what they're asking for below. 2025-Political-Action-PrioritiesDownload Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bluefield welcomed 30 new businesses in 2024
Feb. 8—bluefield — The city of Bluefield welcomed 30 new businesses in 2024. That's according to a new report from the Bluefield Economic Development Authority (BEDA), which outlined growth in the city. Of the 30 new businesses that opened up shop in Bluefield last year, six were from the food industry, four were retail, eight were within the service industry category and one was a medical industry business. BEDA's 2024 report was delivered to the Bluefield Board of Directors at their last meeting, Jim Spencer, executive director of the Bluefield Economic Development Authority, said. "We talked about that at the last board meeting," Spencer said of the 2024 report. "I think it is good to give yourself a grade card on everything you are working on. So we unveiled that last week at the city board meeting." In the new report, Spencer said the city saw various businesses open their doors as well as remodel their facilities for grand reopenings. Spencer said BEDA's goal is to take a proactive approach to fostering a new, sustainable regional economy. This is accomplished by supporting development, advancing business and industry, cultivating talent, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation and attracting new industries. A number of key projects are highlighted in the report, including the Prosperity Hub in downtown Bluefield operated by Intuit and Alorica. It serves as a customer service hub for Intuit's TurboTax, QuickBooks and Mint platforms. Currently Alorica has more than 300 employees working at the Prosperity Hub. The report also highlights the recently completed demolition project along the city's 400 block and the rebuild effort that will be getting underway this summer. It also highlights the Commercialization Station project on Bluefield Avenue. According to the report, the 60,000-square-foot facility is nearly at full capacity with four current tenants. The planning process is underway to further develop the sixth bay of the facility to provide additional space for potential tenants. — Contact Charles Owens at cowens@ — Contact Charles Owens at cowens@
