Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon public employe. (Salem, Oregon) 1981-???? | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1981)
New locals will use central accounting With reorganization, accounting procedures at most local levels are being transfered to headquarters. “We are acting like a bank for most locals,” said Ralph Jull, OPEU business manager. “ Checking and savings accounts from all old chapters are being put into a central account with separate ledgers for each local. Then when locals send in expense vouchers, we dispense funds.” Additionally, each local will receive monthly statements on the status of their account and will have rebates of union dues automatically transfered to their accounts. “ For local treasurers, this new system means they will no longer have to file quarterly financial reports or annual bargaining/non-bargaining expense reports,” Jull said. “The union as a whole will not gain direct budgetary benefits, but we will gain much better a ccou nta b ility and reporting and the locals should gain some additional interest on their money." Most locals are required to partici pate in the new procedure. Those units which will be allowed to maintain their own treasuries, under the new system, are local govern ment units, the six full districts and all single-location locals (those with less than 10 percent of their members in other locations). However, any of these units may participate in the central system. The new procedure began on April 1. Among the advantages Jull pointed out will be gained by the new system are: • Locals will not have to be as concerned with financial affairs on a day to day basis. This will eliminate the problem many old chapters had of finding a person to run for treasurer or finding a person who had adequate know ledge of a c c o u n tin g p ro cedures. • Locals will be able to receive interest on their accounts—possibly as high as 10 to 15 percent. In the past, chapters kept funds in no interest checking accounts or in savings accounts at much lower interest rates. • The possibility of loss of funds when officers change in locals or if a bargaining unit decertifies will be eliminated. • Potential problems with the IRS will be elim inated. Some n on -p ro fit organizations have lost their non profit status or have had to pay taxes because of poor record-keeping or poor record accountability. Following are the main motions acted on at the regular meeting of the OPEU Board of Directors held in Salem on Feb. 28 and a special meeting of the Board held in Salem on March 14. FEBRUARY 28 MEETING Committee Changes C lerical S tud y—Add Cornelia Lovejoy, Ruth Montgomery and Laura Beth Richards. Drop Viloetta Osborne, Evelyn Sparks and Kathy Black. Institutional Closure Study—Add Dave White, Alfred Bushey, Donald Murry and Daniel Reichman. Trades and Maintenance—Add Pete Rouse, Jo Cheney and Charlie Halbrook. Drop Lucian Van Gordon. Staff Screening—Drop Fred Tol leson. 1982 General Council University Location—Add Richard Walker, Dolores Curtis and Ed Holtgrave. Government Relations—Add Ran dy Davis and Earl Myles. Union Operations—Add JoAnn Bowker. CASE Administrative—Nancy L. Garvin. Staff Retirement—Drop Fred Tolle son and Jon Lucke. Rules—Drop Bud Graham. AP A P Amend Article VIII—Other Fiscal Matters—Section 1, by deleting the last sentence, "Withdrawals from Association savings accounts require the signatures of two persons from th is lis t.” Insert in to AP & P th a t central Reorganization from page 1 amount of additional funding they would allocate to bargaining and related BURC activities. Thus, guarantees of increased allocations for expanded bargaining activity could not be assured. This year, bargaining, related training and expenses, and contract enforcement under OPEU’s new format are expected to cost approxi mately $150,000. With locals replacing chapters, bargaining activities are now guaran teed at least $150,000. This money will come from union dues and existing reserves from f he old chapters. In explaining the reallocation of union monies, Green said, “ We re not saying these union activities (other than bargaining) should be elimina ted; but we are recognizing that our priorities have changed and that our funding should reflect these new priorities.” The only major opposition to reorganization came from rural areas who were afraid they would loose General Council representation to the new multi-district locals and to Major motions of OPEC1 Board at Februaiy-March meetings the state’s metropolitan areas. “There are safeguards built into this new system that should prevent this type of domination and I think most directors from rural districts are satisfied with these safeguards,” said Green. Among the safeguards Green mentioned are: There will be less employes at General Council from statewide agencies than under the old system; Small locals will still have at least one delegate, regardless of their size; and Rural locals—as will all other locals—will also have access to a new category of delegates to General Council—district delegates. “The bottom line for reorganiza tion is employe representation at the bargaining table," said Green. “ Under the old system, I don’t think anyone could honestly say they felt they were adequately represented at the bar gaining table, much less that they had any real impact on the process. “ Now, with very little effort, any employe can know what is going on at any point in the bargaining process and give his or her imput.” If it’s worth saying, it’s worth saying right. REPORTS • NEWSLETTERS • BROCHURES • PRESS RELEASES • PRESENTATIONS • MATERIAL FOR PUBLICATION • PROFESSIONAL RESUMES CAmBUidqepacipc associates 617 Chemeketa N.E Suite 105 Salem. Oregon 97301 bargaining team members’ expenses be paid by the agencies in that coalition. The expenses shall be divided among the agencies on the basis of the number of members in that agency up to a maximum of 20 percent of that agency’s total treasury. Additional funds necessary shall be paid out of the general BURC fund. Agencies shall be billed by headquarters on a monthly basis. Other Action Adopted “ Proposed Procedures for Central Reimbursement” (yes 11, no 4). That the scholarship program retain its dues deduction checkoff option. Make bankcard changes, resulting from the union's name change, at First National Bank of Oregon. And, that the signators of these accounts are Delbert L. Bolton, President; D. June Blakley, Secretary-Treasurer; Thomas J. Gallagher, Executive Director and Ralph L. Jull, Business Manager, any orfe of whom may sign. That at any one time any two of the following are required for authorized access to OPEU safe deposit box at U.S. National Bank of Oregon: Bolton, Blakley and D.H. Petry, Vice- President. That OPEU move monies from American Federal Savings and Loan Association and the Oregon Em ployes Federal Credit Union, to the First National Bank of Oregon for purposes of consolidation. That the following staff changes be made in the Retirement and Thrift Program: Drop Fred Tolleson and John Lucke and add Kelly Kathriner and Richard Fraser. Reorganization That “ Proposed Procedures for Central Reimbursement of Local Expenses" adopted at the Feb. 28 Board meeting be reconsidered. That the "Proposed Procedures" be accepted as an interim procedure until the 1981 General Council; and that the Union Operations Committee draft a permanent procedure, in the form of a resolution from the Board of Directors, for the 1981 General Council subject to the following conditions: those effected locals shall by April 25,1981, elect local officers, draft and ratify their Constitution and By-Laws and authorize ledger ac counts as stipulated by the interim procedure. Prior to officer elections, the BURC Chairperson with the Secretary-Treasurer of OPEU shall be authorized to approve disbursal of funds; and That in the "Proposed Procedures," under Ledger Account Authorization Procedure No. 1, to strike the first five words, “ Locals with multi-district locals" and insert the following: “All locals except U of O Faculty (University of Oregon), OSU Faculty (Oregon State University), EOSC (Eastern Oregon State College), OCE (Oregon College of Education). OSU (Oregon State University), SOSC (Southern Oregon State College), U of O (University of Oregon), PSU (Portland State University), OIT (Oregon Institute of Technology), OSCI (Oregon State Correctional Institution), Health Division, EOH & TC (Eastern Oregon Hospital and Training Center), OSH (Oregon State H ospital), Dammasch, H illcrest, MacLaren, PERS (Public Employes Retirement System), Library, Educa tion, and all local government Locals; That “ Proposed Procedures" for Central Reimbursement of Local Expenses be adopted (roll call vote: Yes 12, No 1, Absent 2 and Position vacant 1). That letters be sent to all chapters affected by the "Proposed Pro cedures"—except those listed as exempt—instructing them to close out books as of March 31, 1981, file quarterly reports and transfer funds to their accounts at headquarters. Accepted the 1980 General Council Critique Committee Report. Approved Account and Telephone Authorization forms, and authorized any one of the following as signators: Bolton, Blakley, Gallagher or Jull. MARCH 14 MEETING Committee Changes Nominating—Add Randy Davis. AP & P That every workplace represented by QPEU have a contact person; and that each contact person receive membership applications and in formation of interest to their co workers; and that headquarters keep a master list of all contact people statewide; and that each district keep a master list of all contact people in the district; and that each local keep a list of contact people in the local and that these lists be made available to committee chairpersons, union stew ards and other officers or staff persons of the union upon request. (503) 581-1377 Page 9
