S P E C I A L
R E P O R T
S P E C I A L
R E P O R T
C losest Race Ever
Green Defeats Petiy
for OPEÜ’s Top Post
Promising to bring OPEU into a
stronger bargaining position and to
move the organization into grass
roots politics. District 2 Director
Steve Green won a two-year term as
union president.
While Green, a Salem right-of-way
agent, was defeating incumbent vice
president D. H. “ Pete” Petry by one of
the narrowest margins in OPEU
history, John Clapp and Carol
Laizure-Jellison won by compara
tively larger margins in races for vice
president and secretary-treasurer.
Clapp, a Portland bridgetender,
defeated newly elected District 1
D ire ctor Steve Teters. Laizure-
Jellison, a Salem journeyman silk-
screen sign printer, defeated newly
elected District 2 Assistant Director
JoAnn Bowker.
“ My actions as president will be
aimed at continuing to build OPEU’s
strength as a bargaining unit," Green
said. "H e lp ing the membership
realize the strength of their leader
ship, strengthening the sm aller
locals, moving OPEU into the AFL-
CIO, developing a strike policy and
developing a grassroots political
organization are some of the most
Important actions we will take in this
year."
Despite the important issues that
were raised by Green and Petry, the
race for president did not come down
to a comparison of the candidates'
platforms.
“ Both candidates came to General
Council with essentially the same
platform," said one delegate who was
neutral prior to the convention. “As a
result, the question was really more a
matter of style—Petry the politician or
Green the tactician."
Throughout the General Council,
Petry conducted a much more visible
campaign from his position as vice
president. Meanwhile, Green ap
peared to be working much more
behind the scenes through his
committee assignments and his
position in the ODOT caucus.
Eventhough both candidates cam
paigned fo r m onths, the fin a l
outcome was determined much as it
has been in the past—delegates from
the Willamette Valley were basically
pitted against those from the rest of
the state.
Pivotal to Green’s victory however,
was his ability to woo delegates from
Oregon State University.
One long-time observer of the
union's elections said, "Prior to the
convention, Petry had commitments
from most of Eastern and Southern
Oregon and the Coast, while Green
had most of the Willamette Valley in
his camp—except OSU. The key to
the election, was Green's ability to
bring in the majority of the vote from
Corvallis.”
The platforms of both candidates
for vice president were also much the
same—prepare for negotiations in
1983 and get involved in the political
arena. Their campaign activity prior
to General Council was largely
focused at developing name recogni
tion with the members.
As a result, neither candidate had a
clea r-cu t lead com ing into the
convention and the outcome of the
race apparently came down to the
Friday night meetings with the
District caucuses. Clapp feels he was
able to tip support heavily in his favor
in the District 2 caucus and was able
to gain a slight edge in the District 4
and 5 caucuses.
Asked what he felt was the deciding
factor in Districts 2, 4 and 5, Clapp
said, “The fact that I have at least two
more years of active experience in the
union."
U n lik e the o th e r tw o races,
campaigning for secretary-treasurer
did not start until the candidates
arrived at General Council.
Eventhough Bowker had more
people helping with her electioneer
ing, there seemed to be little
concensus among the candidates
prior to the Friday night caucuses. At
those meetings, Laizure-Jellison won
the election on her name familiarity
and her pledge to make the union
finance committee a group. She
promised that the committee would
meet on a regular basis—rather than
just prior to General Council—and
would stop the practice of rubber
stamping financial decisions of the
executive director and the business
manager.
1. Don Prebus and Sue We idm an n listen to discussion on
convention floor; 2. Delegates from Justice, Mental Health, Health
and CSD on convention floor; 3. Congressman Ron Wyden; 4. Ken
Stueve (right) congratulates Ed Wydronek for signing-up over 1,000
members since joining OSE A; 5. Dick Loscar makes a point during
breakfast meeting of local government delegates; 6. John Cuff (left)
and John Clapp engage in spirited discussion; 7. Rep. Max Rijken
makes a point to Barbara Palmer, legislative candidate Steve
Starkovich and Rep. Jim Chrest (back to camera).
Photos by Faith Dubiry
Douglas Crooks
Budget Deficit Dictates Course
Delegates Take on Resolutions
Many long-tim e delegates to
General Council said that they had
never seen the annual event so best
by fiscal responsibility. Some called it
an obsession.
So serious were the delegates that
they would offset the projected
$57,000 deficit, that they passed a
motion requiring authors of all
resolutions to suggest where budget
cuts could be made if their proposal
had any projected cost.
The question surrounding every
debate was, “ HoW much will it cost?”
As a result, delegates bit the bullet.
Resolutions that had broad popular
support—such as a full-time retire
ment lobbyist, which would have cost
approximately $40,000 annually—
were defeated. Resolutions that were
almost unanimously opposed—such
as holding General Council every
other year, which would save
approximately $50,000 per bien
nium—were passed.
Following is a brief summary of the
major resolutions th at the 174
delegates approved:
Biennial General Council
Debate over changing General
Council from an annual to a biennial
event was long and heated. Delegates
argued both sides of the question
both on the convention floor and in
back rooms. Ultimately, delegates
saw they had little choice but to
approve a biennial session in order to
balance the 1982 budget.
Two-Year Offices
In order to keep union officers’
terms succinct with the change from
annual to biennial conventions,
delegates voted to increase terms for
statewide and district officers to two
years.
P*
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Dues Reduction
Delegates considered several
resolutions to reduce dues for lower
paid employes. They settled on a
proposal that lowers dues from $9 to
$7 for employes making less than
$500 per month. It is thought that this
is the first dues reduction in the
union’s history.
Clerical Committee
Two resolutions were presented to
delegates asking that the work of the
clerical study committee be con
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tinued. Both were surrounded in
controversy before delegates even
assembled.
At one end of the issue were
members who feel OPEU is only
beginning to adequately address
womens’ issues. At the other end
were members who think the union
has devoted too many resources to
womens’ concerns.
Viewing their opposition, sponsors
consolidated their proposals—and
found partial sources of funding—
before the Issue arose iri committee.
Despite these efforts, the belt
tightening mood of delegates left the
proposals sig n ific a n tly changed,
even compared to the consolidated
version.
In its final form, the resolution
changes the name of the committee
to the Special Program Committee,
changes the emphasis from primarily
womens' concerns and clerical issues
to a broad range of clerical issues and
reduces funding to the $1,500 the
sponsors gathered in commitments
from locals and districts and $500
from the general budget. The original
resolutions asked for either $4,000 or
$6,500.
The final resolution left many
members of the old Clerical Study
Committee complaining that dele
gates had moved away from any
emphasis on womens' issues.
Local Rebates
Under the system of rebates that
locals had been operating under
since Jan. 1981, the larger locals—
primarily ODOT and AFS—found
themselves very well-off financially.
The opposite was true for smaller
locals; so much so, that many of these
smaller units were not able to
organize into effective bargaining
units.
As a result, delegates passed a
resolution that w ill red istrib ute
approximately $4,000—mostly from
ODOT and AFS—to locals with fewer
than 200 members.
$1 Political Checkoff
One of the major issues at General
Council was how to increase OPEU’s
political clout. Two needs were
continually raised: forming a grass
roots p o litica l organization and
increasing OPEU’s political action
fund. To address the later need,
delegates passed a resolution calling
fo r a voluntary $1 per month
minimum payroll checkoff.
This checkoff will be in addition to
the 25$ per member, per month, that
is currently deducted from dues
unless the member sp ecifically
requests a rebate. Sponsors of the
resolution estimate the checkoff
could raise up to $24,000 per
biennium.
Strike Fund Committee
Creating a strike fund was one of'
the political hot potatoes of the
General Council. To raise money for
the fund, delegates would have had to
increase dues—an action that has
about as much popular support as
raising taxes. Delegates also had to
consider the impact such a move
would have on the current elections
to deauthorize fair share.
After a stormy debate in the
Constitution and By-Laws Com
mittee and some heated discussion of
the convention flo o r, delegates
decided to form a special committee
that will make recommendations on
establishing a strike fund and a strike
policy for 1983.
Retiree Insurance
Delegates reaffirmed their position
that the Bargaining Units Benefits
Board (BUBB) should do everything
possible to design insurance pro
grams that keep retired members
from OPEU bargaining units in the
active pool of employes. Without
such protection, retirees would face a
200-300 percent increase in in
surance rates.
ADDs as Delegates
The number of delegates to the
1983 General Council was increased
by adding assistant district directors.
Costs for transportation, lodging
and food for these delegates will be
borne by their respective districts.
Union Stewards
Recognizing that OPEU’s union
steward system is not as strong as it
should be—especially in the area of
co ntract enforcem ent—delegates
passed a resolution calling for closer
evaluation of stewards and for locals
to implement procedures for easier
selection and removal of stewards.
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