Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The OSEA news. (Salem, Oregon) 1970-1981 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1981)
Lobby effort an uphill battle With the start of the 1961 Legislature, OSEA — like most other special interest groups — is facing an uphill lobbying effort because of dire economic predictions for the state. “OSEA is faced with the disadvantage of starting this session by having to dispell unrealistic proposals,” says Chuck Mendenhall, OSEA government relations director. He points to Gov. Victor Atiyeh’s suggested five percent salary increase for state em ployes as a graphic example. Mendenhall doesn’t feel that legislators are unsympathetic or that they are not concerned about state employes. “They tend to think of what is the best for the most,” he says. “With the present economic forecasts, they feel they have an inadequate number of dollars to spread throughout the state. This means no one gets what they are entitled to.” However, Mendenhall feels the current pessimistic mood of the legislature may ease by mid-session. Why? Economic forecasts may change. Prior to the start of each le g isla tiv e sessio n , the governor and the legislative leaders must project what the economic conditions and needs of the state will be over the next two years. Because economic conditions and data are constantly changing, this type of forecasting is ex tremely difficult and often results in significant dis agreements in w h a t th e ec o n o m ic d a ta s u g g e s ts . Many feel that the economic data on the first quarter of 1981 — which is due in April — will give a much more optimistic picture of Oregon’s economic future, than information that has spawned the current tight- belted philosophical attitude. While more encouraging economic signals are quite possible, they cannot be counted on. Mendenhall feels this means OSEA’s lobbying efforts will have to be very energetic and persistent in stressing the special needs of our programs. Major efforts have been made to assure a strong lob bying posture. • Considerable work has been done since the last session to insure OSEA will have a good working relationship with legislators in this session. This included maintaining a dia logue with every incumbent legislator, working in over 50 winning cam paigns and opening communications with the 18 newly-elected legis lators. • Eric Parker has been added to OSEA’s lobbying team. He will deal with all legislation effecting senior members of OSEA. • Groundwork has been laid to insure OSEA will be called upon to provide background information and technical data to legislators and testimony to committees. • Special committees are being formed to monitor the progress of specific legislation and to review changes in legislation as it occurs. z---------------------- OSEA's legislative program OSEA’s 1981 legislative program will center on seven areas of legislative interest. The following is a capsulization of each area. In- depth articles on each of these issues will appear in The OSEA News as they become timely. Workers Compensation Law A Governor’s Task Force and the House Labor Committee will be suggesting sweeping changes to the current Workers Compensation Law. The OSEA lobbying effort will continue to monitor and help shape this legislation to insure proper protection for public employes. State Classification System The state classification system has developed piecemeal since its inception. OSEA will initiate legislation to begin the process of updating the classification system to meet five goals: equity, administrative efficiency, upward mobility, affirmative action and comparable worth. Personal Liability Insurance Current statutory language makes protection of state employes from all lawsuits filed against them as a* result of on-the-job activities, less than certain. OSEA is studying the need for additional legislation. Public Employes Retirement System Benefits: OSEA will negotiate for significant increases in benefits, with particular em phasis on ways to address the dilemma of inflation and reduction in spendable income. Housing: OSEA will initiate legislation to permit current employed members and PERS annuitants to receive PERS support for home loan financing. However, special interest demands on each legislator will grow each week. Mendenhall says our efforts in the legislature must also grow if we are to keep pace. “Membership participation will help us maintain a strong posture,” he said. “Few people realize the significant impact they can make on legislative opinion. In many instances, as few as ten letters from con stituents can influence a legislator’s decision.” Mendenhall encouraged members to stay informed on the issues facing state em ployes to communicate their opinions and concerns to their legislators and to contact Parker or himself if they want to participate in any other way, including working on mon itoring committees. Shared Work Compensation Plan OSEA will initiate legislation establishing a voluntary program of temporary work sharing, as an alternative to potential employe layoffs. The legislation will also provide partial replacement of lost wages and benefits for workers who elect to reduce their work week. S.B. 57 and S.B. 496 Both pieces of legislation are likely to be reviewed during this session. OSEA’s lobbying efforts will be to guard the gains made by these model pieces of legislation and to thwart any possible counter-productive legislation. Chuck Mendenhall Procedures for political rebate PREAMBLE In response to concerns which have been expressed regarding the constitutional rights of persons who are required by contract to pay money to the Oregon State Employes Association or any of its affiliates (hereinafter referred to as the OSEA), the OSEA Board of Directors adopts the following political activity rebate procedure. 1. DEFINITIONS A. “Affiliate” means any local affiliate of the OSEA. B. “Fiscal year” means October 1 through the following September 30. C. “Nonmember” means a nonmember of the OSEA who is required to make a monthly “fair share” payment to the OSEA. D. “ Political activity” means: (1) the administration of an independent political action committee; (2) the determ ination and /o r publicizing of an organizational preference for a candidate for political office; or (3) efforts to enact, defeat, repeal, or amend legislation which is not related to the working conditions, welfare, job security, or working en v iro n m en t of em ployes represented by the OSEA and/or its affiliates. E. “Fair share” means a monthly payment in lieu-of- dues which is paid to the OSEA (or to an OSEA affiliate for subsequent transmission to the OSEA) by a nonmember pursuant to a contractual requirement as authorized in ORS 243.650 (10), ORS 243.650 (16), and ORS 243.666 and related statutes. II. PRELIMINARY POLITI CAL ACTIVITY REBATE A. Not more than thirty (30) days after the Board of Directors adopts the OSEA annual budget, the Executive Director shall determine the percentage of the budget which is allocated to political activity except that for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 1977, this determination shall be made within 30 days of adoption of this policy. B. The OSEA dues for members for the fiscal year in question shall be multiplied by the aforesaid percentage and the product shall constitute the preliminary political activity rebate for nonmembers who are eligible for OSEA mem bership. I I I . NOTIFICATION OF REBATE PROCEDURE A. The Salem office of the OSEA shall have on file and available for inspection during regular working hours a copy of the OSEA political rebate procedure. B. As soon as possible after a fair share agreement is im plemented in a bargaining unit for which OSEA or one of its affiliates is the collective bargaining representative, the Executive Director or his designee shall cause to be posted in the work, area : (1) a copy of the OSEA political activity rebate procedure; and (2) a notice which in dicates: (a) that nonmembers may request a political activity rebate from the OSEA (b) the steps to be taken by a nonmember in order to request a political activity rebate; and (c) the amount of the preliminary political activity rebate and the manner in which it has been computed. Such notice shall be posted for a period of not less than thirty (30) days in the same manner as normal posting of notices of interest to members of the bargaining unit, or the Executive Director or his designee shall make a good faith effort to communicate to nonmembers in the bargaining unit the contents of said notice. Steps likewise shall be taken to inform promptly any non member who first becomes subject to the fair share requirement after the aforesaid po stin g o r o th e r com munication of his or her rights in this regard. C. A copy of the aforesaid notice shall be printed in the first two issues of “The OSEA News,” published during each fiscal year in question. For the fiscal year beginning Oc tober 1, 1977, said notice shall be published in said newspaper as soon as practicable and shall also be published following month. in the IV. REQUEST FOR REBATE A. A nonmember who ob jects to the expenditure of any portion of his or her fair share payment for political activity may request a political activity rebate by sending a written c o m m u n ic a tio n to th e Executive Director. B. T he w r itte n c o m munication shall include a statement by the nonmember that he or she is not a member of the OSEA and objects to the expenditure of any portion of his or her fair share payment for political activity, a request for a political activity rebate, and the following information: (1) - the name and address of the nonmember; (2) the position in which the non-member is employed; (3) the name of the em ploying agency If the written communication does not contain the above information, it shall be returned to the nonmember with appropriate instruction for resubmission. V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REQUEST FOR REBATE The Executive Director shall send to each nonmember who requests a political activity re b a te a w ritte n com munication informing him or her that: (a) his or her request for political activity rebate has been received ; (b ) an amount equal to the preliminary political activity rebate has been placed in an escrow account on his or her behalf; and (c) the political activity, rebate to which he or she is entitled shall be sent to him or her not more than thirty (30) days after the end of the fiscal year in question. VI. FINAL POLITICAL ACTI VITY REBATE A. After the fiscal year in question has ended, the Executive Director shall utilize the procedure set forth in Section II above to compute, on the basis of the percentage of the OSEA annual budget ac tually spent for political ac tivity, a final political activity rebate for nonmembers who are eligible for OSEA mem bership. B. Not more than thirty (30) days after the end of the fiscal year in question political ac tivity rebates shall be sent certified mail, return receipt requested, to those non members who requested such rebates. (1) A nonmember who has paid fair share for less than an entire year shall receive a proportionally reduced poli tical activity rebate. C. The Executive Director shall include with such rebates a written communication which explains the reasons for any d iffe re n c e betw een the preliminary and final political activity rebates and indicates (Continued on page 4).
