Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon state employee. (Salem, Oregon.) 1944-195? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1945)
7 The Public Service and the Future of Oregon BY I. A. DE FRANCE The Oregon public service during the last three 'years has experienced great difficulty in maintaining its per sonnel at minimum operationz level. Hundreds of these employees are now on leave of absence serving with the Armed Forces. Thè attraction pf higher wages elsewherfe has operated further to decrease, the public personnel. The supply of key and. essential men is di minishing. Many of- thesë men have been trained arid rendered skillful in their-work through years of painstaking effort. Their Iskills cannot be replaced except at considerable expense for re training. we have already lost meri who will be most difficult to replace, and in the great volume of post-war work which we face, it appears that it is going to be next to impossible to in duce these men to return or to recruit others pf adequate skill and training unless we can of fer themI greater in ducement in the way of social security. men who have loyally worked year after year for the public and who have grown old and incapacitated in service, having worked at a relatively low wage sufficient to provide a mod est living, but not sufficient to permit the accumulation of any reserve for the ''rainy, day” or the day when their ability to work is gone. They resolve that they want something bet ter and, accordingly, are easily influ enced to accept any offer of higher wages, especially if such offer holds odt, in addition, the promise of • a pen sion plan for their retiring years. The State Board qf J Higher Educa tion, which employs a large staff of professional and trained men, is. faced with the. same' situation. Im one of their recent bulletins they placed great emphasis upon the fact that they are unable to recruit and toehold qualified professional men without sonie further inducement, in;' the form of , social se-, In thé past, public service employées, curity or a retirement pension plan. generally speaking, have been inclined The Oregon State System of Higher' to accept public service .as desirable Education Leaflet, Series No. 268, dat career work, recognizing that although ed November 15, 1943, concludes as wages were not high there was a com follows: "The Board should be permit pensating- continuity of employment. ted to establish a plan of retirement All industries and all activities through annunities, which plan worild make it out the country have felt the sanie compulsory for staff members to con pinch and shortage of manpower, and tribute half of the cost of the annui in the extreme competition for those ties. This means that the legislative as trained men not called for military sembly need only to pass permissive , and the Board of duty, public employees have been offer legislation h | ed most attractive positions—not only Higher Education could then proceed more attractive in the immediate pres to help its personnel to help them- ent, but more attractive in the future. selve’s.” I Private industry has offered immedi The cities of the state are faced with ately higher wages and greater oppor- the same problems and the League of turiity for advancement, greater re-' Oregon Cities at their conference held wards for success and, in addition, Some May 26, 1944s in Portland, adopted the form of social security of retirement or ■following resolution: "BE IT RESOLV pension plan. Public .service workers ED that the State legislature be urged look about them and observe those -.(Continued on page 29)
