OKLAHOMA CITY (October 21, 2009) – A meeting today of the Task Force on the Privatization of CompSource has resulted in serious concern for The Oklahoma Public Employees Association.
“What problem is the task force trying to address?” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. “CompSource is solvent and is serving businesses, as well as government entities.
This (privatization) is being driven by insurance lobbyists, many representing out of state corporations, who don’t want CompSource as a competitor.
“Why would we want to put uncertainty into the workers compensation market in these troubled times? Some Oklahoma businesses, such as agriculture, the oil industry and construction, are by their nature prone to risk and hard to insure. Some companies don’t want to go to the trouble of serving small and emerging businesses, which will be a key to our economic recovery,” Zearley said.
OPEA has written a letter to all legislators voicing concern with the CompSource privatization. (See attached copy.)
“CompSource cannot be privatized without legislation,” concluded Zearley. “OPEA will join with business representatives in stopping this transfer in the next legislative session. State agencies and businesses are struggling enough without this risky move.”
Oklahoma Public Employees Association (www.opea.org) is a non-profit labor organization that has represented the interests of state employees at the Capitol in Oklahoma since 1975.
Posted on
Wed, October 21, 2009
by Mark Beutler