State employee union starts to bargain for pay equity >r.
By Shawn Wirtz
Of the Kmerald
The Oregon Public
Employees Union will an
nounce its bargaining proposals
today, and union officials are
confident the most controver
sial ticket item, pay equity, will
have a good reception with the
governor, said Bentley Gilbert.
OPEIJ spokesman.
Gov. Neil Goldschmidt’s
budget proposal to set aside $10
million to fund pay equity
raises has created the optimism.
Gilbert said. "I really don’t
want to say it's enough,”
Gilbert said, “but it is a start to
change those jobs so they are
more in tune with the skills.”
"Personally, I think it’s a
good step in the right direc
tion.'' said Lisa Sieracki,
University library employee
and president of the OPEU
Local 085.
"We’re very pleased that
Goldschmidt supports pay equi
ty and put it in his budget," she
said. Even so. "it needs to be
more. It's not going to solve it."
she added.
The salary increase would
benefit both men and women
whose pay is less than that of
other employees whose jobs re
quire comparable skill and
responsibility, but the proposal
would primarily affect women.
Opponents have contended
that the implementation of pay
equity would require some
workers to take a wage cut. but
Sieracki disagreed. "The union
position is that nobody's salary
is going to be cut or frozen."
Sieracki said.
While Gilbert expects
Goldschmidt to drive a hard
bargain. "One of the satisfac
tions we have with Gov.
Goldschmidt is that we have a
strong belief that he has a better
understanding of collective
bargaining." Gilbert said.
Student building fee proposed
by higher education board
By Chris Norred
Of the Emerald
SALEM — A bill proposing to increase the
building fee that students must pay each term
was introduced in the Oregon House of
Representatives Thursday.
House Bill 2095, sponsored by the State
Board of Higher Education, would raise the
building fee from $12.50 to $15 per term for
each student at the eight colleges and univer
sities in the State System of Higher Education
next year.
The student building fee is collected each
term as part of students’ general fees and is us
ed to cover the cost of debts owed on bonds
that were used to finance campus building
construction.
I he State Board is proposing to increase
the fee because of a predicted increase in debt
that may arise from building projects included
in the State Board’s six-year capital construc
tion plan.
Based upon the most recent enrollment
projections and the capital construction pro
gram approved for the 1987-1989 biennium, it
is predicted that by the end of fiscal year
1992-93, building fee reserves will fall below
the requirements established by Board Internal
Management Directives," according to a State
System staff report.
"An increase of $2.50 per term effective in
1987-88 would provide adequate funds to keep
the reserves at the required level. If this rather
modest increase is not made in 19H7-HH, a
much larger one will be required at a later
date.” the report said.
I he student building fee has not been in
creased since 1975. when it was raised from
$10 per term to the present $12.50.
rhe State Board authorized the bill last
)une, at which time Vice Chancellor Bill l.em
man explained that if the Board's ambitious
capital construction plan, which contains a
number of projects to be financed with the stu
dent building fee. is approved by the
Legislature in both of the succeeding two ses
sions. a large student building fee increase
would be required.
Also in the Capital on Thursday. Senate
President John kitzhaber and House Speaker
Vera Katz announced their appointments of
members to Joint Ways and Means
subcommittees.
I he education subcommittee will be led
by Chairman Tom Mason. D-Portland. an at
torney and part-time instructor at Portland
State University. Mason said there is a
possibility the education subcommittee will
hold hearings at each of the State System’s ma
jor universities.
Also on the education subcommittee are
Kep. Darlene Dooley. D-VVest Linn; Kep. Tony
Van Vliet. R-Corvallis; Sen. Crattan kerans. D
Kugene; Sen. Lenn Hannon. R-Ashland; and
Sen. Frank Roberts, D-Portland.
Goldschmidt
Continued from Page 1
Goldschmidt’s proposed level
of funding for basic school sup
port may cause the fight that
will end the honeymoon period
between Goldschmidt and
legislators, but "1 would expect
we’ll continue to have excellent
communications.” said Senate
President John Kitzhaber, who
also attended the gathering.
Nonetheless. Goldschmidt is
hopeful that the Legislature can
come up with “something that
is passable and at the earliest
possible time,” he said.
Goldschmidt will support
whatever the Legislature comes
up with, he said.
“It really is my job to pass it,”
he said. “That’s our mission.”
The Republican caucus is
willing to work closely with
Goldschmidt on his legislative
priorities, said Sen. Minority
Leader Tony Meeker. ”We view
things in a different light now
that we're a true minority,”
Meeker said.
Meeker praised Goldschmidt
for getting his budget out in
“record time” and said. “By
and large, the communications
have been better than usual.”
In response to questions,
Mouse Speaker Vera Katz said,
“The Mouse Democrats never
take a caucus position on
issues.
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Former Gov. Vic Atiyeh
vetoed a pay equity bill in the
last session. "There was a lot of
games, and I think them will be
less of that." Gilbert said.
The current OPEU contract
expires June 30. OPEll Ex
ecutive Director Alice Dale will
be the union’s chief negotiator.
OPEU represents 15,834 state
employees in 45 state agencies.
Dale and OPEU President Kei
Quitevis-Smith also will pre
sent proposals concerning pay.
health and dental insurance,
working conditions and union
rights.
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