Image provided by: SEIU Local 503; Salem, OR
About The Oregon public employe. (Salem, Oregon) 1981-???? | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1981)
VOLUME XXIII, No. 7 SEPTEMBER 1981 H P U B L IC A publication of the Oregon Public Employes Union, SEIU At the 1980 General Council, Marty Blake, executive secretary of SEIU Local 49, lauds new affiliation between Service Employes International Union and OPEU (left photo); delegates on main floor listen to discussion on a resolution (top right photo); and executive director Thomas Gallagher (standing), vice president Pete Petry (seated left) and former District 6 Director Darrell Sheridan (seated right) engage in discussion during lunch (bottom right photo). General Council Opens Sept. 24 Building OPEU into a strong political force and fiscal account ability will be the predominant themes at the 39th General Council. Ten of the 43 resolutions that the assembled delegates will consider are directly related to fiscal matters. In addition, all resolutions must be accompanied with an estimate of their fiscal impact. Five resolutions are aimed at increasing OPEU's clout in Oregon politics or at attaining specific legislation. In addition, both keynote speakers scheduled for the session— C ongressm an Ron W yden and political commentator Russel Sadler —will address the problems of building a strong political movement. The annual meeting will be held Sept. 24-26 at the Portland Hilton. All portions of the General Council are open to OPEU members. Two resolutions that should draw considerable attention however, do not fall into fiscal or political categories. One would expand the Board of Directors from 11 to 17 members, by adding one member from each of the union’s state bargaining coalitions. Another calls for the establishment of a strike fund. This reserve would be funded by assessing each member and Fair Share payer $1 per month. The fund would be administered by a statewide union committee. The fiscal resolution that should draw the most attention would limit General Council to once every two years. Supporters claim this resolu tion would save the union ap proximately $50,000 per biennium. The major political resolution of the session would establish a political action fund. Like the strike fund, members would be assessed $1 per month. Seventy-five percent of the money would go toward impacting state legislative races. The remainder would be used to promote OPEU strength in local government races. Resolutions have been assigned to one of four committees; hearings will be conducted before the resolutions are brought to the floor of General All OPEO Members Invited to Convention You don’t have to be a delegate to attend General Council. While the majority of activities will involve specific assignments to delegates to General Council, there will be many events that may be of Interest to all members— especially those within easy driving distance of Portland. Here are some of the highlights that have been scheduled for the three-day meeting: Political Commentator Russel Sadler Sadler will comment on labor’s image and how it impacts in the political process. He will be the featured speaker at lunch, sched uled for 12:00, Friday, Sept. 25. Congressman Ron Wyden Wyden will discuss how political success cannot be achieved without grassroots involvement. He will be the featured speaker at dinner, scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25. Health Care Cost Containment Panel The panel wilt include Rep. Vera Katz and Sen. Tony Meeker, both are members of the legislative Ways and Means Committee; Douglas Weltz, M.D.; Alvin Wash ington, Assoc. Regional Manager fo r Kaiser Foundation Health Plan o f Oregon and William Hoelscher, a member o f the BUBB Board. The panel w ill be moderated by Ted Wood, Employe Benefits Manager fo r Johnson & Higgins, a national insurance consulting firm , th e panel is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 26. Health Care Exhibit and Movie "Live or Die," a movie on how your lifestyle may directly con tribute to heart and lung problems w ill be shown each m orning at 8:00. In addition, a participatory health exhibit, which w ill include computerized health testing, w ill continue throughout the session. “ Nine to Five” The feature length movie -‘Nine to Five,” staring Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tom lin w ill be shown at 8:00 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25. Admission is free to all OPEU members and their families. Members who are hot delegates and wish to attend the luncheon w ith Russel Sadler o r the dinner w ith Congressman Wyden, must contact OPEU at least 24 hours in advance. All General Council activities w ilt be held at the Portland Hilton, 921 S.W. Sixth Avenue, Portland. Council. Here is a summary of the major issues facing each committee: Union Operations Committee Three resolutions relating to the union’s dues structure w ill come before this committee: to assess dues at 1 percent of an em ploye’s gross pay, with a $15 and $5 maximum- minimum, and to reduce dues for part-time and half-time employes. This committee w ill also be asked to consider expanding rebates to locals and to continue funding fo r the Clerical Classification Study Com mittee. Membership Affairs Committee Hearings on resolutions to lim it General Councils to biennial sessions o r only when a special session is called and on the proposed political action fund w ill be before this committee. In addition, this committee w ill hear arguments on a resolution to increase terms of statewide officers from one year to two years. Constitution and By-laws Committee Resolutions to expand the Board of Directors and to create a strike fund w ill come before this committee. This committee w ill also review proposals to expand the number of delegates to General Council, to increase terms of local officers from one year to tw o years and to give final a u th o r ity fo r s ta te n e g o tia tin g decisions to the central negotiating team. Retirement Committee T h is c o m m itte e w ill c o n s id e r re s o lu tio n s se eking m eth od s to create a reserve fund fo r excess PERS monies, to bring public sector retire ment income on par with private sector retirement income and to have BUBB w rite bid specifications that include retirees in the same insurance pool as active employes.
