The Oregon state employee. (Salem, Oregon.) 1944-195?, July 01, 1946, Page 5, Image 5

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• The President's Message
All people have their troubles and
state employees seem to have their
^ B ir e at the present time. The world is
a turmoil and our problems reflect
that disturbed condition. State em­
ployees at present are confronted with
an economic situation that is indefinite
and disturbing, and with a wage
structure lacking in flexibility and
adequacy, we are naturally apprehen­
sive. There is also a labor shortage in
many types of work, an increased
amount of work to be done, and lack of
equipment to do it. It is no wonder
there is a certain amount of dissatisfac­
tion and unrest, and some state em­
ployees are jittery and short-tempered.
They are beset by all kinds of aggrava­
tions and it is difficult to appraise
things in their true value under these
conditions.
B However, now is the time, when
^conditions are turbulent, for state em­
ployees to think clearly, and to evalu­
ate carefully the things going on
around us. Which of them are import­
ant and which of them later on will
appear insignificant? Which of them,
will benefit state employees permanent­
ly and which may be injurious?
We must maintain our ideals and a
clear perspective. We must do this even
while we have to simultaneously strug­
gle to keep abreast of economic condi­
tions. In other words the battle of the
pay check.
Three years ago when the OSEA was
founded a peaceful and beneficial rev­
olution was also started. For the first
time state employees got together,
Ofcayed together and worked for com-
^roon aims, for the welfare of the state
as well as the welfare of its employees.
We have achieved much in a short
time. For those who might doubt I’ll
list briefly:
(1) 60 days sick leave for over 1000
hourly employees.
Floyd A. Query
(2) Pay increases of 11c an hour
and $20.00 per month for a
large group of employees whom
we could prove were badly un­
derpaid.
(3) With the League of Oregon Ci­
ties and other groups secured
passage of a sound retirement
act.
(4) Wrote and sponsored the Civil
Service Law which was enacted.
(5) A $10.00 per month wage in­
crease on a state wide basis.
(6) Under the proposed Civil Ser­
vice rules all state employees
will have 90 days sick leave ac­
cumulation at 1 /z days per
month service.
(7) Equal pay for equal work is one
of the fundamentals in the new
Civil Service Law.
These are some of the results which
have been accomplished by working
sincerely and unselfishly together.
We have asked for the right of col-
( Continued on page 4)