Yesterday I covered a rally on the UNC-CH campus against Senate Bill 575. The bill would remove non-faculty workers from the State Personnel Act (faculty and top administrators are already EPA, exempt from the Personnel Act).

The Act spells out grievance procedures and provides protections for whistleblowers, among other personnel policies. The UNC system wants a unified system for all workers, and says having one system tailored to the higher ed environment would ultimately benefit all workers. 

But critics -- more than 130 individuals and organization signed a letter asking Chancellor Holden Thorp to spell out his position -- are wary. They say putting personnel policies in the hands of the appointed Board of Governors could subject employee protections to politics when board members turn over.

The bill could affect an estimated 22,000 workers. Even if it does not pass this session, those at the rally fear its provision will be included in the final budget bill as often happens with unrelated legislations. 

What questions do you have about Senate Bill 575. Write us here, on my Facebook page or at editor@newsobserver.com. We'll try to get answers as we report on this proposal.