The Oregon state employee., October 01, 1948, Page 28, Image 28

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and technical men would be benefited,
but the State of Oregon would p ro fits
Q being able to retaih^&s well as to a t­
tract, competent technical personnel,
and would not continue to be a school
for the practical education of engineers
who leave for more lucrative fields.
"Announcement cards were sent to
around 265 state employed engineers
and technical employees',' calling a pre­
liminary meeting in Salem, on May 4,
1948. This meeting was attended by 50
engineers and two guests, Mr. R T ^
Burt, Grand President of the Engineers
and Architects Association of Califor­
nia, and Mr. Loren White, President of
’’Oregon State Employees Association.
Here, it was decided that there was a
need for such a technical organization,
and a motion to organize was unani­
mously carried. Mr. White in a short
talk approved the movement and
-stressed the idea that we should do
nothing to weaken the original State
E m ployeS Association. Mr. Burt then
added a very informative ’li&lk on some
of the problems we would meet, how
his group overcame some of them, and
ended w ith a standing invitation to af­
filiate w ith the Engineers and Archi-
tects Association of California. A com­
m ittee on organization was then nomin­
ated and appointed w ith unanimous
approval, consisting of J. T. Skelton
and Jay Barbee of Portland, Oscar C ut­
ler,
G. Ricketts, E. A. Pease,^G. A.
■ B f l f l and Tom Hill, of the Salem
office and J. W. Blair of the Aeronau­
ts « Division. E. G. Ricketts was ap­
pointed temporary Chairman a n d
Claude E. Pfifer, Secretary pro tern. It
was decided also to ask all present; and
all other engineers and technical em­
ployees who were interested, to 'give a
dollar each to cdver Organization ex­
panses. W ithin ■ than th irty days we
received contributions from 140 engi­
n e ® who constitute our charter mem­
bership. The meeting was then adjourn­
ed to meet again at the same place on
« y ¿JH 948.
"W hen this meeting was called on
May 2 5, a constitution was discussed,
H
ànd adopted with a fë’w changes; and
ballots foS)fficers were, cast and with
the following results: President, E. G.
Rickett ^ ^ n k Vice-President, Forrest
Cooper; Second ViB-President, Joe T.
Skelton; Secretary-Treasurer, Claude E.
Pfifer, and seven Directors: E. A.
Péase, C. A. Gardner, Oscar Cutler , of
Salem, D. J. Barbee and Clay Cornett
of Portland, Tom Edwards.of Klamath
Falls, and C. D. Cannon of La Grande.
The officers are also ex-officia members I
of the Board of Dirëgtors. A fter this
-meeting, the Board of Directors took
control and proceeded to draft a set of
by-laws?which were later unanimously
adopted by the membership.
"The above is a brief history of our
beginnings; now as to what has been
accomplished. We have a permanent
committee on Working Conditions and
Salaries, who by mëahsmf1 considerable
research, sûcceeded-in presenting a fac­
tual salary "survey,' y ith concrete rec­
ommendations for adequate salaries for
„•State engineers and technical men, to
the Civil Service Commission on the
evening 'of October W 5, 1948. Copies
of this report have been sent to the
Governor and his staff, to all State
Commissions employing engineers, to
the Interim Legislative Committee on
Highways, to State Officials, and to
thè Press. Eventually, copies of this
Salary Survey will be read by all State
employed engineers and technical men,
and it is believed that the Survey will
create favorable sentiment, among all
I who read it, toward a more adequate
salary schedule for all technical em­
ployees and engineers in this state.
Our membership is increasing and We
anticipate continued growth, and we
feel that the Association of Engineer-
ing Employees suppliés a real need and
will do a great deal of good for Oregon
and it^Tngineers. O ur aims are coinci­
dent w ith those of the Oregon State
Employée! Association, and there are
many good reasons for both Associa­
tions to exist, to work together, and to
create a healthier condition both for