Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon state employee. (Salem, Oregon.) 1944-195? | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1944)
The President's Message As I write this there remains but five months before the next legisla ture meets in January, 1945. Much work remains to be done in the interim. Our first objective should be to con tinue our membership drive. A t the present time, we have 18 chapters in our Association, two new chapters since my last message and several more in prospect. Our membership is increasing but we should have 5000 members by next January and we can have if every one, officers and members alike, puts forth every effort. I am frequently asked, "What would you do with the dues from 5000 mem bers?” Our present dues are set as they are to pay our way as we go. When the membership increases, the dues can be reduced'. The more members we have the less it will cost per capita to main tain our Association budget. The dues are subject to revision by the delegates to the General Council at any time. It is not generally understood ' that we are independent and have no affil iations. We are organized on a state level and can see no benefit in affilia tion commensurate with the cost, eith er in money or in loss of independence of action or thought. We are an Ore gon association for Oregonians, self-fi nanced, self-officered and self-govern ed. We have no affiliation with the craft unions. Many of our members however carry membership in them and cooperation with them is our rule. Primarily we are associated together to promote and protect the welfare of our members. An advance in the wel fare of the employees will increase their efficiency and skill and result in benefit to the state through an improved pub lic service. The merit system and a re tirement plan are our immediate objec tives. Many of the states already oper ate under the merit system and provide a retirement plan and it is only a mat ter of time until Oregon, too, will fol low their example. A. J. FORD Marion Chapter No. 18 Congratulations, best wishes and a hearty welcome to our newest chapter. Arthur W. Lamka was elected presi dent; L. S. Covert, vice president, and Fred S. Bynon, secretary-treasurer. The members of the new chapter are em ployees of the State Engineers, the Cor poration Commission, the Insurance De partment, the Fire Marshal and the Tax Commission, all of which departments have offices in the State Office Build ing in Salem. The name "Marion” was selected for the new chapter. Forrest Stewart, Association Execu tive Secretary, and Floyd Query, Chair man of the Membership Committee, as sisted the new chapter, in its organiza tion at a meeting held August Î4,.1944, at the Salem Chamber of Commerce.
