Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The OSEA news. (Salem, Oregon) 1970-1981 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1973)
Another Attempt to Reclassify Custodiáis, Domestics Proposed Another attem pt by the Personnel Division to solve what has become a thorny problem— reclassification of the state's custodial and domestic w orkers—has been proposed. It w ill not be supported by OSEA for most of the same reasons the Association has not backed other attem pts made to reclassify those employes during the past fo u r years. The division's new plan—its second in five months—proposes placing all employes in those classifications into two new classifications: custodial and food service workers. It recommends establishment o f two levels w ith in each classification at the following salary ranges: custodial w orker 1, $326-$415, and custodial w orker 2, $415-$531; food service w orker 1, $326-$415, and food service w orker 2, $397-$506. A proposal made by the Personnel Division last July recommended three levels of custodial workers and three levels of food service workers, all at higher salary levels than the latest plan. "O S E A cannot su p p o rt the proposed classifications," Assistant Executive Secretary E verett B. Stiles said, "because they fa il to ac complish the original goals fo r revision of this series." " F irs t, they do not elim inate pay differences based upon the performance of light and heavy w ork. Second, they do not cle a rly d ifferentiate the functions of custodial and food service workers. And th ird , they do not elim inate the means by which state agencies m ay use the classifications in a d iscrim in a to ry m a n n e r." S tile s re s u b m itte d O SEA's proposal fo r overhauling the classifications. That proposal recommends establishment of five levels w ithin each classification at the following salary ranges: Custodial w orker 1, $483-$531; custodial w orker 2, $531-$586; custodial w orker supervisor I , -$586- $646; custodial w orker supervisor 2, $646-$712; and cusotidal w orker supervisor 3, $748-$824; food service w orker, $483-$531; cook 1, $531-$586; cook 2, $586-$646; cook 3, $646-$712; and assistant food service supervisor, $646-$712. The Personnel Division's attem pt to revise the custodial and domestic worker classification dates back to the early months of 1969. It was given added impetus, however, in 1971 when OSEA filed complaints on behalf of nine employes of the State System of Higher Education with the Bureau of Labor. The employes—all female and all classified as domestic workers—charged discrim ination on accountof sex. All nine said they performed like or s im ila r work to male employes classified as custodial workers, but were paid from $113 to $125 a month less. A few months a fte r OSEA filed the complaints, the Office fo r Civil Rights, U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare conducted a "contract compliance re v ie w " at Oregon State University. It found "no substantial degree of difference" between the duties performed by custodial and domestic workers. It did find, however, th a t 95 per cent of the domestic workers were female, while 96 per cent of the custodial workers were males. The last m ajor study of the classifications was conducted by the Personnel Division in 1972 under the auspices and monetary support of the Public Service Careers Project, a program financed by the U. S. Department of Labor. It found that comparison of the tasks performed by custodial and domestic workers involved in cleaning showed only "s lig h t differences," which do not "ju s tify the salary differences currently existing between the classes/' Highway Employes Due Training On 'Highly Dangerous' Poisons The Highway Division has inform ed OSEA it has scheduled a tra in in g program for its employes on the hazards they m ay face from transportation of highly dangerous poisons over Oregon highways. Field Representative Donald F. Larkin asked George Baldwin, a d m in istra tor of highways, about the m atter a fte r he learned the poisons were being moved in bulk liquid form through the state. "T h e poisons—n a m e ly P a ra th io n —a re e x tre m e ly dangerous," Larkin said. "Exposure to them could result in death w ithin eight hours. An individual can be exposed through fumes or by w alking in the residue from a leaky tanker. The poisons can be absorbed through shoe leather or clo th in g." "W e are aware of the hazards and are in the process of establishing educational programs for our em ployes," Baldwin told Larkin. He said the tra in in g sessions w ill be conducted by personnel from the Bureau of Motor C arriers, U. S. J a n u a ry, 1973 The OSEA News Page 2 Departm ent of Transportation in Portland. Because the hazards may involve personnel from other state agencies, Baldwin noted, em ployes from the State Police, Emergency Ser vices, T ra ffic Safety Commission and Department of Environmental Quality w ill be invited to attend the tra in in g sessions along w ith Highway Division employes. " I t is our belief th a t because the exposure is great to personnel controlling tra ffic o r cleaning up a site following an accident involving hazar dous m aterial, these persons are the most in need of tra in in g ," he said. The sessions w ill begin in February. OSEA Asks Review Of Reclass Denial _____ For Printers Employe Retirement Accounts Valued Editor's Note: In an effort to keep OSEA members informed of the value of their accounts in the Public Employes' Retirement System, the OSEA News publishes the following table. Both the "variable annuity" portion of the account (which is invested in common stocks and short term notes) and the "fixed" portion of the account (which is invested in long term bonds and mortgages) are listed. The table shows the value of each $100 invested in either the variable annuitv or fixed ac count on the date listed. VARIABLE F IX ACCOUNT ACCOUNT $101.89 $100.52 January 31, 1972 $105.79 $101.05 February 29, 1972 $106.78 $101.57 March 31, 1972 $108.24 $102.09 April 30, 1972 $108.76 $102.61 May 31, 1972 $104.42 $103.14 June 30, 1972 $103.45 $103.66 July 31, 1972 $107.09 $104.18 August 31, 1972 $105.62 $104.70 September 30, 1972 $106.87 $105.22 October 31, 1972 $112.38 $105.75 November 30, 1972 OSEA has appealed to the P u b lic E m p lo ye R elations Board a reclassification denial on behalf of six employes who work fo r the Department of General Services. The employes—all classified as offset p rin te r 2—requested the Personnel D iv is io n to reclassify th e ir positions to offset p rin te r 3. The d iv is io n refused the request, claim ing the men do not perform many duties of o ffs e t P rin te r 3, such as supervising other personnel, requisitioning supplies, pricing out jobs and m a in ta in in g equipment. The printers contend they c o n s is te n tly p e rfo rm both offset p rin te r 2 and 3 duties d a ily, and argue th a t to be paid at the lower level is a rb itra ry . The appeal was filed by OSEA staff attorney John S. Irvin . May we have your autograph on a payroll deduction form? One thing that stands out about payroll deduction saving is . . . . . .IT WORKS! Even small amounts saved on a regular basis ............ ADD UP! Call us for details Oregon Employes Federal Credit Union 1127 25th S tree t SE, Salem Phone: 588-0211 BEST PLA C E TO SAVE OR BORROW Hours: 9:00 a.m . to 5:00 p.m. NEWPORT'S NEWEST ALL UNITS: Ocean Front Color Cable TV Queen Size Beds Direct Dial Phones COMMERCIAL RATES W indjam m er M o te l 744 S.W. Elizabeth, Newport Phone 265-8853 ¡ ► ^ < M ^ 4 * * *** **** *# # 4 *** # **** **» ** *** **** *> * **** **** **** *** ***' ( Rather Not Get Involved? You may want to save, but don't feel you can commit yourself to a standard amount required for monthly payroll withholding. If withholding isn't feasible for you, you can make savings deposits by mail if you'd prefer. Call us for information. State Employees Credit Union 1622 State Street NE, Salem Telephone: 585-7084 Open Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 S -t-r-e -t-c -h Y o u r Pay C heck That's what our unique "cost-plus" program^ for OSEA members is designed to do. We can save you money on the cost of prescription drugs. If you w ill come in, call or w rite w e'll prove it to you. PROFESSIONAL PHARMACY Your COST-PLUS Store Ted Morris, B.S., R.Ph. Telephone: 585-5421 1690 12th Street SE Salem, Oregon 97302
