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About The OSEA news. (Salem, Oregon) 1970-1981 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 1978)
Page 4 April 6,1978 The OSEA News Reclassification procedures explained Your classification determines your salary. That makes it important that you know what your classification is, that you have an accurate and current position description, that you know what job tasks are defined for your classification, and that the classification of your position is the right one. The classification system is designed and con trolled by management, but employes can make management use it fairly and consistently by challenging the class determination where there is a question of its accuracy. It is easy for mistakes to happen in the classification of positions. The work changes with time, new management methods and new technology. Management “forgets” to re-examine classifications. As budgets get tight, supervisors escalate your duties while saying “we can’t afford to promote you.” OSEA has negotiated a specific process for state employes to file for reclassifications with the Executive Department Personnel Division that includes guarantees of timely action and effective date of approved reclass. That procedure should be used by all employes who have reclassification requests. Many agency managers still do not un derstand that agreement and continue to advise employes to use agency channels. The usual ex perience is that the request gets bogged down in bureaucratic channels, delayed unnnecessarily and may be treated in the end as an agency management request NOT subject to the time and effective date requirements of our agreement. So, use the contract procedure designed specifically for employe use. If you are an employe of a local government jurisdiction, you should be looking at classification Class conscious By Eleanor Meyers Personnel Analyst issues in your system and bargaining rights af fecting them. RECLASS PROCEDURE 1 - Do your homework. (a) Make a copy of your position description. If you don’t have one, or it is not accurate or current, write one that is. Use PD 122 available from your agency personnel office or from OSEA. (b) Get copies of class specifications for your class and the one you are requesting. These LERC events slated The Labor Education and Research Center (LERC) at the University of Oregon has scheduled several more classes of interest to OSEA members. Some of the classes are at the specific request of OSEA. On April 1, for example, will be OSEA steward training in Eùgene. April 8 -- Introduction to Municipal Finance, Portland. April 13 and 14 - Conference: Labor and the Media, Eugene. April 29 and 30 - Conference: Labor Union Women, Eugene. April 20,27 and May 4,11 and 18 -- Basic Unionism: A Close Look at Unionism in America, The Dalles. July 31 through August 4 (tentative) -- Community College Faculty/Staff Workshop, Eugene. Date to be set — Workers’ Compensation Program, Roseburg. HAVE A PEPSI DAY BEA PEPPER Complete Service For Parties — Picnics — Special Events — Vending “where to call” Pepsi-Cola —• Dr Pepper Bottling Co. 3011 Silverton Rd., N.E. Salem, Oregon Phone 363-9221 The OSEA News is published every three weeks by the Oregon State Employes Association, a public employe labor organization. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 1127 Twenty-fifth Street SE, Salem, Oregon 97301. Second class postage paid at Salem. If The OSEA News is being sent to the wrong address, the address label on this paper along with the correct address should be sent to OSEA Headquarters, 1127 Twenty-fifth Street SE, Salem, Oregon 97301. Subscriptions: $3 per year. Postmaster: If undelivered, please send form 3579 to OSEA, 1127 Twenty-fifth Street SE, Salem, Oregon 97301. specifications also are available from your per sonnel office or OSEA. (c) Write down on a separate piece of paper specifically and clearly why you think your position should be reclassified. 2 - Contact your job rep, your employe rep or me to discuss what you have done and to obtain more information. 3 - Send the request through the job rep, the employe rep or directly to me at OSEA headquarters. We will work with you to represent your case from them. (See the current central contract, Article 22) REASONS WE CANNOT USE 1 - You are at the top of your range and need a raise. Classification is based on the nature of your duties - not experience or performance. 2 - You perform more work than others in your class or better work. Neither quality of work nor amount of work are factors - only the kind of work. If your work is different, you may have justification. 3 - You are qualified to perform work in another class. Only work assigned is subject for classification. If you are over qualified, promotion is the answer, unless you are assigned work out of class because you can do it. We will discuss other issues infuture columns, including what employes can do when the classification system needs change.
