Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon public employe. (Salem, Oregon) 1981-???? | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1981)
In Brief Western Bank Urges Reduction of State Wages State legislators are being urged by Western Bank to “ reduce (state) expenditures through reducing state staff and related expenses.” In a letter addressed to all 90 Oregon legislators, Western Bank President Merle D. Courson said that tax dollars have been "squandered" by state employes and accused them of "destroying credibility between state govern ment and the citizens, and have succeeded in completely discourag ing business and industry from having much to do w ith a state devoted to bureaucratic domina tion.” Courson also urged legislators to Federal Workers Contemplate Job Actions > The federal government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM ) is trying to head off union unrest among federal employes. According to the Wall Street Journal, OPM D irector Donald Devine has promised federal employes he will let them know in advance about staff-cutting plans and will refer latdoff employes to agencies, like Defense, that are hiring. In addition, Devine said President Reagan will soon praise “ the positive contributions*' of federal workers. However, these steps offer little remedy, according to Kenneth Blaylock, president of the American Federation of Government Employes. “ People have reached a point of exasperation,” he says. “ Mass leave requests and picketing, as welt as w ork slowdowns, are possible courses of actions we are considering.” A strike by federal employes would be illegal. Nominations for Officers Due June 20 Nominations for statewide office in OPEU will close at noon, June 20, according to Delbert Bolton, OPEU President. The General Council’s Candidate Search and Nomination Committee will meet at headquarters on June 20 to formally accept the nomina tions and seconds. The meeting is open to all members. Candidate nomination forms can be obtained from Candidate Com mittee members (all Assistant D istrict Directors), Board members and Local presidents. Statewide offices include presi dent, vice president and secretary- treasurer. Each office is a one-year term. VOLUME XXHl, No- 5 JUNE H E OREGON P U B L IC EM PLOYE A potHtaHkm <H the O ffro » PuMk E m p to y Untow, SOU Th® Oregon Public Employe is published monthly (except August) toy the Oregon Public Employes Union, a public cm« ploy e labor organization. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 11x7 X5th Street SB, Salem, Oregon 97301, Second class postage paid at Salem. Subscriptions: $5 per year. contem pt by state employes,” said OPEU Government Affairs Director Chuck Mendenhall. “ I would urge state employes to withdraw any funds they have deposited at Western Bank as a means of protesting inis action.” * BANK producers cannot be tolerated.” “ Western Bank’s attempt to use state employes as a scapegoat for the State’s financial posture and as a means to lobby against increased taxes, should be viewed w ith W estern Bank has' offices in Ashland, Baker, Bandon, Bend, Brookings, Clatskanie, Coos Bay, Eagle Point, Florence, Gold Beach, Gold Hill, Harbor, Cave Junction, Keno, Klamath Falls, La Grande, Medford, N orth Bend, Prineville, Redmond, Scappoose, Shady Cove, Sisters, St. Helens, Tillamook, O ntario, Vale and W hite City. Less Government, Not Lower Wages To House and Senate Members: As the 61st Legislature practices its juggling act w ith the G overnor’s budget in one hand and money requests in the other, I find it extremely im portant that we keep ourselves thoroughly informed about those needing money and why. As more and more deserving groups enter the “ act,” I have discovered how easy it is to pick up on a piece of incorrect information and pass it on as fact. I think some o f my colleagues have inadvertently done this concerning the income level of state employes. fv e heard it said that the G overnor’s offer of a 6 percent pay raise for state workers is “ indeed a generous offer,” and even th a t. “ state employes do all right; they d o n ’t need a raise." W hether you are in agreement w ith these statements o r not, there is one point that we can all agree on: the public has spoken loud and clear that it does no t want higher Accountant #2 Carpenter (flat rate) Electrician Engineering Technician Secretary Autom otive Driver taxes but it does w ant less governm ent., The message got through to the Legislature, but how some of us translated that message into action is unworkable. Some of my colleagues see the solution as simply cutting wages of the state workers so taxes won’t have to be raised and services can be continued at their present level. I find trying to maintain the current level of services by not providing a reasonable standard of living fo r the service providers to be a short range solution to the problem. In m y mind, the real answer to a call for less government is just that . . . less services and less taxes. This means less programs, possibly a freeze o n hiring arid p e rh a p s layoffs. Here are some approximate figures on the disparity between Oregon State and C ity of Portland employes: State Pay Range C ity of Portland $1302.0041663.00 $1436.0041584.00 $1507.0041663.00 $1302.0041663.00 $ 818.0041031.00 $ 985,0041082.00 (2 yr.) $1817.0042059.00 $1782.00 (flat rate) $1974.00 (flat rate) $1692.0042021.00 $ 931.0041245.00 $1315.0041482.00 (1 yr.) Rép. Lonnie Roberts, D-Multnomah USPS 411*499 POSTMASTER: If undelivered, please send form 3579 to OPEU, P.O. Box 1X159, Salem, Oregon 97399* OREGON PUBLIC EMPLOYES UNION P.O. Box 1X159 Salem, Oregon 97399 Telephone: 581*1595 Portland members call: XX3-1599 Elsewhere: 9O0-45X-X149 PORTLAND BRANCH OFFICE SALEM BRANCH OFFICE X399 SW Sixth Avenue 1879 Hawthorne, NE Eldred Realty Bldg., Suite 193 Portland, Oregon 97X91 Telephone; XX4-1979 Salem, Oregon 97393 Telephone: 599-9130 EUGENE BRANCH OFFICE 1749 W. 19th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97403 Telephone: 34X-19S5 MEDFORD BRANCH OFFICE PENDLETON BRANCH OFFICE 4x4 SW 9th 1133 S- Riverside, Suite 7 Medford, Oregon 97591 P.O. Box 1959 Pendleton, Oregon 97801 Medford members call: Telephone; 179*4993 779-43X4 Elsewhere: 800-451-7995 Page 2 rejecf/a series of bills that increase personal and corporate taxes. He warned that “ additional taxes on Resolution Deadline is June 26 Open Period for BUBB Begins June 15 Deadline for submitting resolu tions to headquarters for the 1981 General Council is 2 p.m., June 26. Open enrollment period fo r all insurance programs in the Bargain ing U nit Benefit Board (BUBB) begins June 15. OPEU President Deb Bolton is urging members to submit their resolutions or ideas for resolutions to their Local o r D istrict Executive Committees for review. “ Your Executive Committees will deter mine if the subject matter has been previously covered, and will be able to put the resolution o r idea into proper form at for submission,” Bolton said. However. Bolton says that if members want to submit a resolu tion directly to headquarters, District and Local officers or delegates to General Council can answer questions on proper format. State employes currently enrolled in BUBB programs may change insurance companies or add depen dents during this period. The open enrollment period ends August 15. Informational brochures and ap- plications can be obtained from personnel and payroll offices or by balling BUBB at 373-1174 in Salem o r 1-800-452-1174 statewide.
