The Office of Management and Enterprise Services has issued a memo clarifying the use of leave for persons who were injured during the storms, had a relative or household member injured or killed by the storms or had their, or a relative's, home damaged or destroyed. 

As Oklahoma copes with a round of devastating storms, please keep those who sustained loss in your thoughts and prayers. Also, remember those first responders, volunteers and community leaders who are working in recovery efforts and to ease the loss. OPEA would like to be made aware of any members who sustained loss.

A Fox News story in OKC ask about the lobbying activities of Okla Dept of Tourism officials who are lobbying for legislation that makes all their vacant classified positions unclassified. It also makes any new positions unclassified in the future. 

Call Your Representative and Tell Them to Not Unclassify Department of Tourism Employees. Your Job Could Be Next!

If passed, SB 1124 immediately unclassifies 247 unfilled jobs at Department of Tourism and every Tourism job that comes open after July 1, 2013

Gov. Mary Fallin vetoed House Bill 2077 which would have  authorized an optional defined-contribution retirement plan for state employees hired after July 1, 2014. The bill passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Senate and would have created an optional pension plan for new employees.

Gov. Mary Fallin signed into law HB228, Tuesday, SB 228 by Senators Simpson, Ivester, Allen, Shortey and Fields and Representatives Hardin, Pittman, Hoskin, Sherrer and Morrisstte , providing for a career ladder program for employees at the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). 

Oklahoma has begun the process of conducting a remuneration study to examine both state employee salaries and benefits to determine how they compare to the public and private market. The study is expected to have a preliminary report, with recommendations, available in October for consideration before the next legislative session. OPEA is hopeful that this is the first step in creating a compensation philosophy which will improve state salaries and benefits.

The following is the text from a letter to state agency directors from OPEA that was sent to them Tuesday May 7, 2013. OPEA hopes agency heads will consider the possibility of granting the performance payment out of existing funds. Dear Agency Director, The Oklahoma Public Employees Association (OPEA) requests that state agencies consider using funds they may currently have in their budget to pay for a one-time performance payment for their staff.

House Bill 2077 authorizing an optional defined-contribution retirement plan for state employees hired after July 1, 2014 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives and is now on its way to Gov. Fallin’s office for consideration .Next July, new employees may elect to participate in the new program instead of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS), a defined benefit plan. 

As a way to recognize state employees for the role they play in providing core services to Oklahomans, the Oklahoma Public Employees Association (OPEA) has requested state agency directors provide a one-time performance payment for their staff using existing agency funds. These payments were authorized in legislation approved by both the house and senate and was scheduled for conference committee but funding for them was not included in the recent legislative budget agreement.