Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The OSEA news. (Salem, Oregon) 1970-1981 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1970)
A member of the Association of Governmental Employees (AGE), which includes over 500,000 public employees Report Asks $10 State Insurance Contribution The State of Oregon should provide a $10 monthly con tribution toward the cost of each state employe's medical- hospital-surgical group in surance premium. That recommendation is part of a report submitted to Gov. Tom McCall by a citizen's com m ittee th a t has been studying state employe fringe benefits. "T h e greatest d is p a rity between state employes and their counterparts in industry and other governm ental jurisdictions is the lack of a health insurance contribution," the report says. /According to the re p o rt, either the total or a major portion of employes' medical- hospital group insurance is presently paid by 88 Oregon cities, 23of its 36 counties, more than one-half of its school districts, 8 of 13 telephone companies located in Oregon, 11 of Oregon's 33 electric and gas utilities and the federal government. In addition, the report notes that a two-year old survey conducted by the state shows 86 per cent of the private and public employers surveyed in Oregon make contributions to the cost of their employes' group insurance plans. Out of 13 western states, only Group Will Study State Health Pay G o v . Tom McCall has ap pointed Cornelius C. Bateson to head a task force which will director of the Department of General Services; William G. Hughes, administrator of the s tu d y P e rs o n n e l D iv is io n ; a n d J e r r y and m ake re c o m mendations forimplementation of the citizen's committee report on group medical- hospital-surgical insurance for state employes. Bateson, a former Marion County senator and rep- resentaative, is Oregon's insur ance commissioner. He said the task force will be composed of Thomas C. Enright, OSEA executive secretary ,* Leander Quiring, Dodds, executive director of Council 75, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employes (A FL- CIO). Bateson said the task force will make recommendations to McCall regarding the ' ad ministrative details of a state contribution to employe group health insurance. He said he hopes to have the recommendations to McCall by Aug. 15. Oregon and Arizona do not make an insurance con trib u tio n , the report says. Nationally, 30 states pay at least a portion of the insurance. The report puts the cost of a $10 monthly contribution at $7.2 million a biennium, or 1.3 per cent of the state's present payroll. Recommendations on 13 major fringe benefits are in cluded in the report. Besides the insurance contribution, the committee recommended: Candidate List in This Issue It's nea r ly time for elec tions to be held in which two officers w ilt be elected each of OSEA's nine districts throughout the state for 1970- All Vf Candidates j f o r 'd ire c to r and ' assistanti 'director'-' - positions- have , submitted a summary o f ; .their experience ift OSEA along with their pictures for < your in£pec$eiU\< them over before you yofeis'you'll find them on pages 10 and 11 of this issue. render efficient service as a supervisor of assistance workers." He was demoted from caseworker 4 to caseworker 3. At the tim e OSEA filed the . appeal with the PERB, John S. Irvin, staff attorney, asked the agency to furnish the association the specific facts on which it relied in taking the action. Welfare refused. When the hearing opened, Irvin asked the board to set aside the demotion. He argued that the notice of demotion did not contain sufficient facts to inform Lawrence of the charges against him, and that they were not sufficient to enable him to properly prepare his defense. The board denied the motion. After the agency presented its case, Irvin again asked the board to set aside the action. He claim ed th a t W elfare's evidence failed to sustain the charges of in e fficie n cy or unfitness to render efficient service. employes to retire prior to age 60 at a reduced pension. For the full report, see pages 56-7-8. • That a state contribution toward employe life and ac cidental death and dismem berment insurance be delayed until a health insurance con tribution is implemented. • That no change be made in the state's vacation leave schedule. Vacation benefits provided by the state are comparable to those offered In industry and other govern mental jurisdictions, the report says. • That no c h a n g e be m a d e in the number of holidays given to state employes. However, the report says holidays which fall on Saturday (and are now lost to state workers) should be granted as compensatory days off. • That no change be made in the state's sick leave benefit. Although the federal govern ment and some states pay employes fo r accrued sick leave upon retirement, the Welfare Demotion Struck Down By PERB After OSEA Appeal The Public Employe delations Board struck down he dem otion of a Public Welfare D ivision employe allowing an appeal by OSEA. Robert Lawrence, who Is mployed In the agency's Aultnomah County office, was lemoted fo r alleged Inef- iciency and "u n fitn e s s to report says Oregon should not implement such a practice at this time. • That the state permit After a short recess, the board granted the motion. It ordered the agency to reinstate Lawrence to his former position of caseworker 4 with back pay from June 18 to May 1. He's Filing His Copy Maintenance Man Henry A. Weikum says be likes the size of the new collective baragining contract between OSEA and the High way Division because it's just the right size to fit hfs shirt pocket. The agency printed the contract in booklet form and distributed a copy,<«' ail employes. Weikum's a member of OSEA's Shop and Field Chapter 38 in Salem, ................. ............................... Insurance Benefits Increased; Premiums Remain the Same State employes insured under the OSEA-Standard group insurance plan got an increase in benefits July 1 with no in crease, in premiums. The increased coverage was announced by Lester B. Strickler, OSEA's director of insurance. There are eight amounts of life insurance under the plan, depending upon the insured's monthly salary. The old and new amounts are: New Old $6,000 $5,500 $7,200 $6,600 $8,400 $7,700 $9,600 $8,800 $10,800 $9,900 $12,000 $11,000 $13,200 $12,100 $14,400 $13,200 Strickler said the life in- surance benefits for depen dents under the group plan were also increased. Benefits for a spouse went from $1,100 to $1,500. For children from age T4 days to six months, benefits were raised from $110 to $500. And for children from six months of age to 22 years, benefits .were increased from $1,100 to $1,500. In addition, benefits under the OSEA-Standard weekly income protection group in surance plan were raised from 16 weeks to 26 weeks. That in s u ra n c e provides pay to the-job accidents or illnesses. Strickler said OSEA and the Standard Life Insurance Company were able to increase the benefits without raising premiums "because of our exceptionally good claim s experience during the past year."
