Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The OSEA news. (Salem, Oregon) 1970-1981 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1977)
Page 4 The OSEA News January 13,1977 OSEA's legislative package goes to solons ^fc****^^*^****^*^^^#**^***^*^*^******^**^*****************^**^^^* The 59th Oregon Legislature came to Salem Jan. 10 to find new quarters and new furniture of eye-popping colors. Already, however, they have begun to organize themselves. The committees have been appointed and work will begin on the proposed legislation before them -- including those bills written by OSE A. State employe issues will not have the prominence in this session that they have had in the past two, said Bill Wyatt, OSEA’s government relations representative, in a talk to the Board of Directors Jan. 8. The last session was important because state employes got $168 million out of the budget for salary increases and benefits improvements. Needless to say, this grabbed a lot of media attention. In 1973, of course, the legislature passed the collective bargaining act. Competing with state em ployes issues in this session will be Workmen’s Compensation, school financing and state aid to local governments. The revenue sharing money is new money not in the last budget, Wyatt said. The money that goes to cities and to school districts to finance their operations will be money denied to state employes to increase their salaries and benefits. Of interest is the governor’s budgeting of $95 million for state employe salary increases and benefits. “I have difficulty understanding why the governor, when providing a substantial inflationary in crease for operations, can only provide a 10 per cent increase over the biennium for salaries,” Wyatt said. “Announcements from the Executive Department show an increase of everything in the world of 20 to 40 per cent except the budget for salary increases. It is difficult to un derstand how they can justify this.” Here are some highlights of what OSEA will be doing this session. In the past, OSEA has followed over 400 bills. The Association cannot deal with that many this time. But, there will be various tools to help the membership follow legislation. Many of the bills important to us will be analyzed and reported on in The OSEA News. In ad dition, headquarters will publish a legislative newsletter which will be sent to Board members, chapter officers and job representatives as well as ’other interested members who have asked to be on the mailing list. Specific legislation we will' keep an eye on include: • Pay and benefits -- Once negotiations are completed, it will fall to the. legislature to fund the package. • Collective bargaining - OSEA largely will be in a defensive posture on this issue. The governor has made several proposals relative to collective bargaining few of which are favorable to employes in state bargaining units. • Coalition bargaining - This requirement has caused our negotiators problems and should be repealed. Chiefly, it subjects the members of OSEA bargaining units to the provisions of a contract negotiated by someone else (See story, page 1). • Conflict between merit law and collective bargaining - Existing policy of the Association attempts to place at the bargaining table all those subjects of the merit system and personnel rules, and to pass legislation that essentially says that members, of .bargaining units should not be subject to the provisions of merit rules (See story, page 1). • Prohibit expenditure of state funds in bargaining unit representation elections Commerce Department dir ector Cornelius Bateson ran a campaign against OSEA in a recent bargaining unit representation election in his agency. In the process, he spent state money. It appears, however, this is; not a clear violation of the law and he is not personally liable. • Provide a private cause of action - in discrimination complaints -- If the state Bureau of Labor refuses to take action on a discrimination complaint or renders an adverse decision, state employes now have no alternative. Passage of this bill will allow state employes, as well as employes in the private sector, to sqq their employer to have the discriminatory con ditions removed. • Home rule -- The state Court of Appeals recently ruled that cities and home rule counties are not bound by the state collective bargaining act. They may enact their own collective bargaining or dinance, which likely would be much more restrictive, or they may prohibit collective bargaining for their employes. Presently, Multnomah, Lane, Washington, Benton and Hood River are home rule counties. This court ruling will make contract bargaining and en forcement much more difficult for those local government employes OSEA now is beginning to represent. • Retirement -- OSEA is a member of the Public Employes Retirement Con ference (PERC) which is made up of 15 public employe organizations. Our retirement legislation will be handled through PERC. Its bill contains five major provisions: (1) It will increase benefits for all retirees and members of the Public Employes Retirement System (PERS) without going into General Fund monies; (2) Raise the cost of living increase from two per cent to four per cent; (3) Reduce the retirement age with full benefits to age 55; (4) Change the pension formula, exclusive of the annuity, from 1 per cent to 1.35 per cent for general service employes, and from 1.35 per cent to 1.7 per cent for policemen and firelighters; (5) Reduce to 10 years the minimum payment of $100. OSEA wins promotion for member in Albany ALBANY - Linda Burnett was a inotor vehicle representative 1 with nine years’ experience with the Department of Motor Vehicles, when she applied for a position opened in her office here calling for a motor vehicle represen tative 2. She applied for it, thinking that she was sure to get it because she had the ex perience and was at the top of the list for promotion to MVR 2. Instead, the department took someone from its Coos Bay office with under two years’ experience, promoted him and transferred him to the position in the office here. Burnett, president of Albany Chapter 7, asked OSEA Employe Representative Gordon Webb to represent her in the grievance. Webb not only succeeded in securing her promotion, but insisted that it be retroactive to October when the other person was moved into the position she applied for. * £ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * DOES YOURS? OURS DOES!! STATE EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION If your financial institution doesn't offer all these services, try the State Employees Credit Union s where you belong. MEMBERSHIP SERVICES SAVINGS All Oregon state employees and their immediate family Notary public Fleet sales on new vehicle purchases (a substantial savings) N.A.D.A. used vehicle guide N.A^D.A. recreational vehicle guide Loan protection insurance Life savings insurance Financial counseling Payroll deduction Kelley new vehicle^uide Tours 6% dividend paid quarterly AIT retired Oregon state employees LOANS Forali provident purposes Life insurance provided Life insurance provided CERTIFICATES Reasonable interest rates 7% 1 year on minimum deposit STATE EMPLOYEES CREDIT UNION 1328 State St. Salem, QR 97308 Phone: 585-7084 ; OFFICE HOURS 9:00 to 5:00 Monday thru Friday
