11
ity pay” for which the Oregon State
Employees .Association has unceasing
ly labored for the past 6 years.
The Association reaffirmed its pol
icy to continuously work for parity
pay (pay for State service comparable
industrial and other employer pay
r like work), to studyw age and sal
ary schedules of other employing
agencies and to work for the adjust
ment of inequities -and discriminations
as they become; evident in the wage
plan of State sërvice.
Efficiency of Public Service Stressed
. The retiring president of the Asso
ciation, Loren R. White of Salem,
sounded the keynote of the convention
in stating that “the public has a right
to expect and demand efficiency, loy
alty and courtesy from all employees
in public service; and the employee
has a right to demand that such effi
ciency, loyalty and courtesy receive
the public’s respect, a tenure in his job
and adequate compensation for his
servicës.” Continuing, Mr. White said,
“A ll Association members should by
their acts establish in the minds of
the citizens of this State a greater con
fidence in State government. We will
prove that administrative inefficiency,
as; mentioned by some members of the;
legislature, is NOT condoned by the
Oregon State Employees Association,
and we shall not permit any such re
marks to go unchallenged. Our words
must be convincing and our deeds will
prove our sincerity.”
Mr. White has served the past two
years as the Association’s president
and under his leadership membership
has increased by over 3,000 and has
developed to a forçe of considerable
influence in the improvement of pub
lic service to the benefit of the State.
The Trend in Personnel Relationships;
ndustrial Leaders Awake to Responsibilities
By Virgil G. O’Neil
There has been a slow, gradual im
provement in ?5abor-management rela
tions in this country which is resulting
in larger profit to industry, a higher
standard of living, the creation of self-
confidence, initiative and indepen-
denceof working men and women and
an increase irapwerall efficiency. The
era of fHptatorial controls over the la
boring class has passed; the newer
concept of mutual friendliness; and in
terest between the director and his
helper is with us to stay.
Cooperation or Conflict
Shall we “ hang together, or hang
separately?” Is it to be the Golden
Rule or an “eye for an eye, a tooth
lor a tooth?” Are those,who supervise
and direct the activities of other
fellow-beings dealing with people or
with “cogs” in a machine? Can it not
be demonstrated that the attitude of
an employer towards his employees
will be reflected in the employee’s at
titude towards his services to the em
ployer? When employers, administra
(
tors and supervisors cry out in alarm
about the inefficiencies of their help-1
ers, perchance they thus publicly admit
their own shortcomings and failures
in the discharge of their own duties}?-;
Getting a little closer to home, there
is much ado in Oregon’s state govern
ment administrative circles about the
efficiency of state employees;;? Some
queer attempts to engender the neces
sary friendliness and cooperation have
come to light. The attitudes , of some of
our public administrators are now begl
coming public and thereby subject to
the searchlight of open discussion. Let
us proceed to a comparative analysis
of industrial and ^fate-level thinking
on personnel relationships!^;;
Industrial Personnel Policies
Nearly 80 per cent of Armco Steel
Corporation’s top 60 departmental su
pervisors favor having their employees
call them by their first, names. They
find that kindness and friendliness are
the No. 1 personality secret and that
such relationships between employee
and supervisor foster a spirit of equal-