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
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