Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon public employe. (Salem, Oregon) 1981-???? | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1981)
C lerks form STUDY CAUCUS FIND MEMBERS, WIN T-SHIRTS If you are in a clerical-related position and think you have been forgotten, "you are wrong. OPEU’s Clerical Study Committee is in the midst of building a statewide network among clerical-related employes that will give this group of workers much more organizational clout. The committee is looking for contacts in every workplace in the state. Contacts will be asked to help identify the number and location of clerical-related positions in their work unit, to hand out literature, to • organize workshops and to look at clerical-related problems. One of the first tasks of the new network will be to conduct a study on salary structure and comparable worth. , If you are interested in being a network contact person, call Karen Noonan at 378-3361 (Salem) during work days, or 792-3476 after 7 p.m. or contact Eleanor Meyres at OPEU headquarters at 1-800-452-2146. Sign up some new members and receive a limited edition OSEA T-shirt. Sound like a good deal? If not, think about this — by participating in this OPEU membership drive you benefit in two ways: First, getting more members into your union strengthens our position in many areas that are of direct benefit to you. Second, this T-shirt with OPEU’s old name — will become a collectors item among union members and T-shirt collectors. Sound like a good deal now? CONSUMER CONCERN Some OPEU members are expressing considerable concern that a little noticed portion of Governor Atiyeh’s budget will mean a serious cutback in consumer protection for Oregonians. Under the Atiyeh plan, the Consumer Services Division of the Commerce Department would be moved to the Justice Department, where it would become a section of the Attorney General’s office. Gov. Atiyeh terms it an orderly reorganization of government functions. But according to some OPEU members this discrete move will seriously change the function of the Consumer Services Division. Presently, Consumer Services acts 5 as a mediator between businesses and consumers with complaints, and provides information to consumers on how to make sound decisions in purchasing goods and services. Within Justice. Consumer Services’ roll would change to one that is primarily enforcement. OPEU members we spoke with are concerned that before long. Consumer Services would be little more than a name. Here is all you have to do. Beginning March 1, send in xerox copies of five new membership applications (three if you live in Districts 4, 5 or 6). Each time you do, we will send you a T-shirt like the one pictured above. Be, sure to include your size (small, medium, large or X-large. EMPLOYES GAIN BENEFITS Seasonal state employes who previously may have lost insurance benefits for their first month or more on the job, are now eligible for insurance coverage as early as their first day of work. Prior to Feb. 1, seasonal employes who were paid from the Employment Division payroll center, had to work 80 hours in one pay period before eligibility for insurance could be established. Since Employment’s pay period is froth the 20th of one month to the 19th of the next month, many employes were losing up to 40 days of insurance coverage. Michele Tiano-Moore is a state employe who lost out under the old rule. Employed as a seasonal worker beginning on August 18, 1980, she completed 80 hours of work and submitted her medical insurance application to the payroll department before the end of August. However, she did not receive insurance coverage until Oct. 1, 1980, because Employment’s payroll period did not end until Sept. 19. Chuck Mendenhall, BUBB chairman and OPEU Government Relations Director wrote the Employment Division challenging the rule. He asked that the rule be changed and that adjustments be made in Tiano-Moore’s coverage date. Employment concurred with Mendenhall and changed its eight-year-old rule and revised the effective date of Tiano-Moore’s insurance coverage. Now, seasonal employes who begin work on the first day of a month will have insurance coverage begin on that date. Seasonal employes who begin work on any other day of the month will have coverage begin on the first day of the following month. “Call Back” Penalty Pay Granted Employe called at home to solve work problem is granted “call back“ penalty pay. E m p lo y e: Robert Putnam, AFS B u s in e s s a g e n t: Fred Hasle O th e r OPEU sta ff: Bromleigh Lamb C o n tra ct is s u e : Central Contract, Article 55 Prior Driving Record Not Allowed Off-work driving record and driving record prior to employment cannot be considered in disciplinary action stemming from on-job driving record. E m p lo y e: Debbie Donaldson, General Services B u s in e s s a g e n t: Jean Moyer O th e r OPEU sta ff: Alice Dale C o n tra ct is s u e : Central Contract, Article 13 Reprimand Removed From Files Written reprimand rescinded and removed from all personnel files. E m p lo y e: Daniel H . Jones S h o p ste w a rd : Earl Karr B u s in e s s a g e n t & s t a ff a tto rn ey : Maria Keltner C o n tra ct is s u e : Central Contract, Articles 13 & 30 Uniform Cleaning Allowance Paid CONGRESSPAYS WOMEN LESS Discrimination apparently knows no bounds. A recent report by the Capitol Hill Women’s Political Caucus shows that female employes of members of Congress are paid substantially less than their male counterparts. The group also said significantly fewer women than men are in higher paying, policy-making jobs on congressional staffs. Jennifer Dorn, leader of the caucus, said in the report “that despite the fact that Congress has passed numerous civil rights laws-which apply to the private sector, such protections do not exist for congressional employes.” Uniform cleaning allowance to be paid to dispatchers. G rou p : Dispatchers, Lincoln City Police Department S h o p ste w a r d : Norm Hendrickson B u s in e s s a g e n t: June Wissmath s O th e r OPEU sta ff: Alice Dale, Maria Keltner DUBIN NAMED BUS. AGENT Faith Dubin is OPEU’s newest business agent. She will be responsible for all state employes in Linn and Benton counties. Previously, Dubin worked in Rep. Jim Weaver’s Washington, D.C. office as a legislative assistant on human service legislation and labor issues. TRADES COMMITTEE HAS NEW OPENINGS OPEU’s Trades and Maintenance Committee has been expanded and is seeking three "additional members. The committee, who’s purpose is to check, investigate and research job classifications within the state’s 4000 series and compare them to similar positions in the private sector, is looking for members with jobs in 4000-4999 classifications. Interested individuals should contact Ken Stueve at home at 929-3656, Rt. 1. Box 29K, Philomath, OR 97370 or contact their district director. New members must receive approval from present committee members and then be confirmed by Board of Directors. Current committee members are Stueve, George Hess and Charles Halbrook from OSU; Jo Cheney from U of O and Jerry Dominy from Oregon State Fair. OPEU: STRONG, VITAL, GROWING Dear Mr. Gallagher: As unions go, Oregon Public Employes Union is relatively new. Formed by the merger of the Oregon State Employes Association with the Service Employees International Unión and the broadening of its membership to decisively meet the needs of employes of other public subdivisions, the union waited for the name it has today. Though new, OPEU’s roots are deep and strong. Unions are often perceived and described in impersonal terms. But unions are really no more than groups of perople organized to get jobs done — in óur case, providing services essential to our Oregon and American way of life. OPEU’s story is, in fact, the collective story of thousands and thousands of people who have built the union over the past four decades, then together they provide a glimpse of OPEU’s family tree: strong roots, a vital present and a growing future. Art Krichevsry Childrens Services Division Page 3
