3
Few M l Budgets Held Buck
Geueru! Pug Hulse
By Virgil .O’Neil
■ Since its inception in 1943, the Ore by the very few departments whose
gon State Employees Association has budgets are low. O f sorue 10,000 state
been working for 1 the improvement of employees, probably 800 are employed
the state’s public service. Its efforts by these "poor” departments. In the
have rewarded every state employee and case of the public library employees,
the public iff many'ways; we have the emergency board has recently given
helped improve thé service . rendered vifs Approval to a deficiency appropria
the public; we have provided tools tion, which will permit the library to
which can be used to decrease the costs increase its salaries NOW!
bf government. These are proven facts.
The pattern by which salaries can
Any member of the OSEA can explain be increased has been established and
them to the uninformed. Our capable is well known to everyone. Although
state administrators recognize the truth salary inctëases on a state-wide basis
of these statement^. ' The state’s highest are rare, yét they have been made in
élective officers and our legislators ad the** past 'and when it was <- then said'
mit the integrity and honesty of pur "We have no money!” We now have
pose which the OSÈÂ has consistently a Civil Service Commission whose du
maintained in reaching its objectives.
ties under? the law include that of
State Wage Problem
recommending parity paÿ for state em
I Expressed in a'vfe^y .pointed words, ployees; parity with pay scales of pri
the state’s present wage problem is as vate industry, other states and thé fed
follows;//a) all salaries and wagesare eral service. We do not hear much from
too low, (b) the public service demands this commission, yet they aré not ob
better pay, (c) ‘ all informed people livious to the facts that state wages
recognize the need for higher pay, (d): remain lowf ’
all officials in a position to graht in
Our governor has just recently in-
creases say they should be granted, and structed the budget director to survey
(e) only a purported lack of money oh his budgets to see what can be done.
the part of a very few budgets keeps Cur OSEA secretary, Forrest, Stewart,
a general raise from being granted.
With".the? governor’s permission has'
Solutions Being Studied
gone over all of them with the budget
Two-thirds of state employees are director just a few weeks ago!
employed by self“-sustairiing depart
The OSEA is gratified to know that
ments,/able to pay better wages and the wage problem is being carefully/
in most cases quite willing to do so. studied! We feel confident that the
Of the remaining one-third, a goodly results will prove what we have known
portion are. employed by budget con- for some time: to-wit, the raising of
frolled departments which have some state salaries to a decent standard will
surplus left In their budgets., Only a cogt I less and save the taxpayers more
very small minority of employees are than the present wage policy.
employed in departments whose bud What Every Employee Knows
gets in no wise anticipated the in
Every thinking state employee knows/
creasing costs of doing business.
the following:
A general and needed increase in the
f. A low salary scale begets dissatis
state’s wage scale seemingly is held back faction, repulses high calibre applicants