The Oregon state employee., March 01, 1947, Page 13, Image 13

11
achieve its aims and to combat persist­
ently those forees Which would destroy
its potential value.
Retirement Act Benefits
Qur Association has been criticized
for its leadership in the enactment of
this welfare measure. Some employees
will not join us as they feel we have
thus "forced them out of a job.” Some
say their pay has been cut, others that
it: is compelling them against their will
to contribute. Some are dissatisfied be­
cause its provisions áre not liberal
enough, etc., etc. Again, I wish to point
out that nothing is perfect and no gen­
eral principle meets with 100 percent
approvals The principle of the retire­
ment legislation is. sound and is ¿gen­
erally accepted in private as well as
public employment. There are hundreds
of such systems in effect and there are
I hundreds of labor organizations now
fighting to get under such systems.
Personal hardship cases do arise, espe­
cially during the inauguration of such
a system. Our insistance on prior service
credit without cost to the member and
our efforts to liberalizeE the* present 20
year prior service limitation shows that
the Association appreciates these con­
ditions arid
keép on trying to cor-
, rect them until injustices are equalized.
Few employees will be "forced” to
leave the service. Probably a. few, at
first, but bear in mind that the Act
provides that the employer may -retain
employees eligible^ for retirement for
an indefinite period (from year to year)
if it is mutually agreed upon. As time
passes, retirement becomes more and
more a personal privilege, financially
feasible and wholly desirable.
Considered from one point of view,
every participating employee receives a
raise in pay in the amount of his em­
ployer’s contribution , to his retirement
fund, contingent upon retirement. If
the employee quits before retirement he
gets his own money back. If he is dis-
¡ abled, he gets benefits always in excess
of his own contributions. So, if you
live or die (and who doesn’t?),; the
least benefit is your own money back
with probable interest,V and your
chances are more than even that you
will receive more than you contributed
in actual money! On retirement, the
benefits are about twice as great as an
annunity with life insurance companies
would provide. That present reduction
in the pay check for .retirement and
disability protection isn’t easy to get
along without, in some instances, but
it wi// come back tri you later in a time
of greater need.
Your Association >1$ working for, a
liberalization of benefits under the Act
commensurate with the financial feas­
ibility of such benefits; As time passes,,
as investments bring their yields and
as administrative costs level off, we
will be in a better position than now to
appreciate the full possibilities of the
Act. I feel that patience and under­
standing are in order so that the great­
est good for the largest number will
be realized.
Did the Association Help YOU in 1946?
All state employees received a $10
per month boost. Accumulative sick
leave. credits were extended to all de­
partments and maximum accumulation
boosted to 90 days Uniform vacation
and holiday privileges were granted.
Recognition was obtained of the prin­
ciple of granting increased per diem
allowances for traveling j employees.
These are a few of the things that your.
Association was instrumental in bring-'
ing tri .pass in 1946, Did the lower paid
employees feel encouraged to learn that
the minimum base pay would be $130
per month? Were we all encouraged to
learn that we aré to have, in general, a
40-hour work week? Aren’t those who
were working 60 hours nOw on a 48-
hour schedule?- These- are material
things which received favorable action
as the direct result of the. activities and
the united front of our Association.
What one of us, by himself, could get
to "first base” on state-wide matters
such as these ? D oes fhe membership at;
large appreqiate the many meetings
with administrative officials, the Civil
Service Commission, the Retirement