Smoke signals., October 01, 2018, Page 6, Image 6

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S moke S ignals
OCTOBER 1, 2018
Thirteen departments are led by Tribal members
EMPLOYEES continued
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so they can meet job requirements
for well-paying positions, as well
as the November 2013 adoption
of the Tribal Employment Rights
Ordinance that seeks to give Trib-
al members more participation in
economic activity in and around the
Grand Ronde Reservation.
Other reasons are as varied at So-
cial Services’ 477 program getting
Tribal members on-the-job training
experience, the Temp Pool that
allows Tribal members to obtain
work experience and the Summer
Youth Employment program that
often gives Tribal youth some of
their first jobs.
“The Temp Pool has been the
stepping stone for a lot of employ-
ees getting their foot in the door,”
says Employee Relations Specialist
Steve O’Harra. “The Catch-22 is
having the experience and it has
given people the experience.”
Another reason, Fullerton says,
is Tribal members moving up the
ranks within the Tribal government.
Thirteen departments within
the government are led by Tribal
members and some of those Tribal
member managers, such as Michael
Wilson at Natural Resources, Dana
Ainam in Social Services and Jake
McKnight with the Police Depart-
ment, are long-time employees
who have gradually worked their
way up.
“When I started here 18 years
ago, you had a lot of Tribal mem-
bers at lower levels in the pro-
grams,” Fullerton says. “I think
through attrition and building
people’s skills, they’ve moved up
within the departments.
“If you dissect those 13 (Tribal
member department managers),
I would contend that a lot of them
were not directly hired into that
management position out of school
or off the street. They worked their
way up.”
Fullerton and Human Resources
staff members also say the domino
Graph created by George Valdez
effect of better educated Tribal
members, combined with the TERO
mandate to give Tribal members
an opportunity to work, is creating
situations where many govern-
mental job openings never reach
the external hiring phase. Instead,
Tribal members are competing and
losing out to other Tribal members.
“I think it creates a lot of frus-
tration for those Tribal members
who don’t get hired, but ultimately
we are hiring a Tribal member,”
Fullerton says.
“Our most often heard complaint
from Tribal members is ‘How come
that Tribal member got the job?’”
Human Resources Department
Manager Patrick Dempsey says.
“It’s often a difficult decision. It
comes down to six highly qualified
Tribal members. They all go to the
interview, go through the same
routine, and you have to make a
tough decision.”
Fullerton also points to the fact
that Tribal members view working
for the government as a career and
that the two Tribal employees who
have worked at the Tribe for more
than 30 years – Tresa Mercier
and Gregg Leno – are both Tribal
members.
“There has been more of an em-
phasis on hiring Tribal members
and giving them an opportunity
Ad created by George Valdez
to do the job,” Fullerton says. “I
think Tribal members do want to
work for the government and Tribal
members in the service-based de-
partments that we have really take
pride in providing good services to
the membership.”
The growth in overall Tribal gov-
ernmental employees from 316 in
2013 to 470 in 2018 – an almost 50
percent increase – is attributable to
growth, Dempsey says.
“There’s been lots of growth,”
Dempsey says. “We’re now over 500
employees on this side of the street.
… That’s contributed greatly to it.”
In the last five years, a police de-
partment has started, security has
been brought in-house, the Chacha-
lu Museum & Cultural Center came
online, the TERO program started
and even Human Resources for the
casino and government consolidat-
ed under the government umbrella.
“It’s really across the board in
hiring,” Dempsey says.
In addition, O’Harra says, about
15 positions were held unfilled when
there was a hiring freeze implement-
ed in anticipation of the opening of
the Cowlitz casino in April 2017.
“I think working with the other
departments – Social Services, the
477 program, we’ve worked with
Education on projects throughout
the years, with TERO – has all
contributed with helping Trib-
al members get employed here,”
O’Harra says.
Meanwhile, the odds that you are
talking to a Tribal member at Spirit
Mountain Casino are about the same
as they have always been. Only 9.4
percent – less than 1 in 10 – of the
1,023 employees are Tribal members.
Dempsey says that casino work
remains challenging with its 24/7
schedule, challenging work condi-
tions, and less pay and benefits.
“I think the biggest impediment
for Tribal members working at the
casino are the working conditions,”
Dempsey says, adding that the
Grand Ronde Tribe is following the
same trend as other Tribes he has
worked at with Tribal members
starting at the casino and eventual-
ly migrating to government jobs. 
Social Services has bike helmets
The Tribe’s Social Services Department has bicycle helmets available
for distribution. Those needing a helmet should visit the department and
sign a helmet application, as well as get fitted.
For more information, contact Social Services at 503-879-2034. 
Ad created by George Valdez