10
Letter to Governor Snell
August 26, 1946
To the Governor, Board of Control
and Department Heads
Dear Sir:
The Oregon State Employees Asso-
caition, through its Board of Direc
tors, in February, submitted to you a
resolution requesting an increase in the
pay of State employees. On June first,
a general increase of $10.00 per month
was granted to the majority of em
ployees in the State service.
The Oregon State Employees Asso
ciation and its members realize that the
increase was made at a time when many
departmental budgets were exhausted
making it difficult to find the funds
necessary to provide for such an in
crease. However, the policy of the As
sociation is a policy of parity, meaning
equal pay for equal work as compared
with wages paid in industry, the neigh
boring coast state» and in the Federal
Service.
It is the desire of the Association to
assist wherever possible in the improve
ment of the state service. We feel that
in order to attract and hold desirable
personnel the State must be in a posi
tion to compete successfully with the
Federal Service, our neighboring coast
states and private industry. Two im
portant steps in this direction have al
ready been taken. A sound retirement
plan and an excellent Civil Service law
have been provided by a progressive
legislature and administration. The next
step is to provide a salary schedule that
will insure State employees of an ade
quate standard of living.
Cover Title
TEMPEST BLOWN PATRIARCH
This storm tossed spruce, survivor of
thousands of storms, still battles the
elements at Cannon Beach, Oregon.
Haystack Rock in the distance.
Living costs in Portland and vicinity
are higher than in Los Angeles, San
Francisco or Seattle. (From Bureau of
Labor Consumers Price Bulletins 1945-
46). The Bureau of Labor statistics for
1946 indicate that food costs in this
vicinity are the 4th highest in the na
tion. San Francisco ranks 8 th, Los An
geles 9th and Seattle 13 th. This infor
mation from the Monthly Labor Re
view, June 1946.
Oregon’s economy is definitely ex
panding and there is no indication that
Oregon will go back, economically, to
where it was during the 1935-1939
period. Oregon industry is recognizing
the trend and gearing itself according
ly- The state cannot afford to be out
of line with industry.
A recent survey conducted by the
Oregon State Employees Association
among its members in various Oregon
cities shows that a great many state
employees are not able to maintain a
desirable standard of loving on the sal
ary paid by the State and must supple
ment their state salary by doing outside
work or else the wife has found it ne
cessary to supplement the husband’s
earnings by working outside the home
and in many cases at the sacrifice of
her family. A tabulation of this survey
is appended.
Now that the time is at hand when
departmental budgets are being prepar
ed for presentation to the forthcoming
legislature, the Oregon State Employees
Association wishes to express its con
cern in regard to the amounts provided
in those budgets for salaries and wages.
The Oregon State Employees Associa
tion feels that; (1) more money should
be made available for substantial in
creases in the wage structure for this
coming biennium; (2) an adequate
amount should be provided in the bud
get for an expanding economy; (3)