2
The President's Message
We are fast approaching that most
important event of the year in the af
fairs of the Oregon State Employees
Association, the annual council meet
ing. At this meeting the progress of the
past year is approved, the program for
the year to come is mapped out and
defined, old officers are replaced by
new and a new page in the history of
our Association is begun.
As we look back upon the past year
we can, I believe, all be proud of the
progress made. In a short space of time
our Association has become truly repre
sentative of the employees of the vari
ous departments of state service. Our
policies and objectives have been kept
on a high plane. We have proposed
nothing that the most critical public
official could not heartily endorse.
Our case before the legislature was
presented in a reasonable and dignified
manner. The favorable consideration of
employee legislators was, I believe,
recognition of the truth of our belief
that the welfare of the state and the
welfare of state employees are insepar
ably linked together. Like the football
player who is proud to belong to the
first team, so the honest state employee
is proud to belong to an outstanding
state service. Also he wants to keep it
outstanding, competent, efficient and
courteous and he believes that the pres
ent civil service and retirement legisla
tion will assist to do this and in time
will tend to improve the present high
standard of service.
Many things of serious concern to
state employees will take place during
the next year. The retirement system
will go into effect, to the extent that
deductions from employee pay checks
will start. The civil service director
will be selected. The classification plan
I. A . DeFrance
will, after a series of hearings, be
adopted. Rules and regulations will be
proposed and after hearings will be
adopted. A pay plan will be proposed
and after a series of hearings it may
be adopted. Elections will be held and
a new legislature will convene in Salem
January of next year.
We should anticipate the problems
that will arise. Delegates should come
to the council prepared to discuss em
ployee interests and welfare. Either
directly or through his chapter delegate
the ideas of each and every member
may be presented and heard. Those who
are not satisfied with the conduct of
the affairs of the Association should at
this time present their ideas for council
consideration. A program and the poli
cies to be followed throughout the year
are to be adopted and officers and com
mittees should be selected who will as
sume the responsibility of putting that
program and those policies into affect.