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OPEA Board Lays Out ’09 Platform

 

 

 

OPEA Board and Staff lay out platform items for 2009

 

 

 


OPEA’s Board of Directors met recently to address platform issues for the upcoming legislative session.

 

The Board worked through the weekend, prioritizing issues ranging from a long-term compensation plan to increased longevity.  Protecting employee benefits is also on the agenda.

 

“Once again, state agency directors are concerned about the unfunded health insurance mandate, and legislators are looking for a way out of funding state employee insurance,” said Trish Frazier, OPEA Policy and Agency Relations Director.  “We will be working hard to preserve benefits OPEA has fought for in the past.  We can also expect to see another threat to privatize state pension funds and turn them into a 401 (k) type program, such as SoonerSave,” Frazier said.

 

Proposed legislation for a compensation package provides for a $2,000 across-the-board pay increase for all state employees, effective July 1, 2009, with an additional 2.5 percent increase each year until the cost of state employee turnover has been reduced to $40 million per year.

 

On a related note, another piece of legislation asks that state employees be moved to market pay within four years.  Market pay would include items such as overtime, shift differential, hazardous duty and holiday pay.

 

A proposed longevity bill would double the state’s longevity program and index it in the future; meanwhile a 2 percent cost of living adjustment would be added for OPERS retirees.

 

“We have a long road ahead of us,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley.  “It will require all OPEA members standing united, showing our legislators that state employees deserve a fair salary and benefits.  I urge all OPEA members to talk to their co-workers about the benefits of OPEA, then taking that next step to become a member.  If all 36,000 state employees joined OPEA, there’s no end to what we could accomplish together.”

 

OPEA members are also urged to invite their legislators into their worksites to show them what they do for the people of Oklahoma.  They may also discuss concerns about pay, staffing and turnover.  OPEA staff will help you set up a worksite visit with your legislator by phoning OPEA headquarters at 405.524.6764 or 800.880.6732 for toll-free outside the Oklahoma City metro area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on Fri, November 14, 2008 by Mark Beutler

23 comments (Add your own)

1. more money for some and not all?? wrote:
What about these people that just got this in some cases.....very large market pay increase??? Is that not a pay raise for alot of people,but not for those of us that have worked for it for the last 30 years!!!!We didn`t receive this at a time of hard times in our country,something is not fair about this,us that have worked and stuck it out during hard times just do without now? Some of these people received several hundred dollars a month and have worked for the state for less than one year while others received well over a thousand dollars a month and there is us that got nothing!!!I guess years of service don`t mean much anymore.......

Fri, November 14, 2008 @ 3:51 PM

2. Tom Dunning wrote:
When do we start working and how many will join us?

This may be the most important session in years.

Fri, November 14, 2008 @ 4:21 PM

3. Hank wrote:
We have to work harder to get the word out to our co-workers but at my agency I have had posters removed and have been spoken too about using work e-mail inviting others to a luncheon. I was recently told by my supervisor that he was to ensure that when I had a brown bag lunch to plan an OPEA float in our parade that he was to ensure that I did not start until noon and I had to be out of the room at 1 pm. I see other go to birthday luncheons at 11:30 all the time and come back late with no leave slips.
It is so hard to try and get others to support OPEA when they see that I am made to walk the line and targeted.
We have to get state employees to lift up their heads with pride and say I deserve to make a living wage. We should not have to go years without a raise and try to live in 2008 on a 2004 budget, we are loosing about 300 a month the way I figure. I am thankful for our OPEA leadership but its time to become loud in our vocalization and to the point of becoming militant. I am willing to take a weeks leave and camp out on the capitol steps for a week if OPEA will
provide the portable potty's.
I would be proud to make what out Legislators make, to me it would be a 10,000 dollars a year raise and I have worked for the sate for 12 years and brought 20 years experience to the job.
The legislators cannot vote themselves a raise until 2010, you watch and see if they don't give themselves one and throw us a bone.
When are we going to meet with the commissioner of mental health, she has canceled at least twice and I think 3 times; come on OPEA lets put some pressure on her.
Lets get loud and proud people.

Fri, November 14, 2008 @ 7:32 PM

4. Ross wrote:
I think we all better be more concerned about how possible budget cuts are going to effect us. I saw Scott Mechum on channel 9 on Thursday, and he said this was going to be one tough session, the gross production tax on oil and natural gas is starting to go way down,and will start effecting the budget. I remember in 2002 of having to take four furlough days because of budget cuts, and a bunch of people lost their jobs at other agencys, so I'm much more concerned about that than any raise. I would much more like to see how opea is going to handle that than any raise right now.

Fri, November 14, 2008 @ 9:57 PM

5. Ross Jury wrote:
Everyone better be more worried about budget cuts than raises right now folks.

Fri, November 14, 2008 @ 9:59 PM

6. J wrote:
What does OPEA predict for the upcoming year? Budget cuts or a raise. I really believe the legislature wants to cut state employees.

Mon, November 17, 2008 @ 4:04 AM

7. ernest schneider wrote:
Insurance for retirees is outragous. Where's the help. For all you current employeees who hope to retire someday, be ready for the shock of trying to keep insurance. Dropping it is a poor option because of the cost in the private market.Clinics won't work because you have a salary and will pay for it based upon your income. We have to come up with options that reduce the overall costs. Retiring and not being able to afford insurance is the elephant in the rooom that current employees are not thinking about right now and neither did I before I retired. Now it takes a large part of my retirement to keep insurance. Rates will continue to skyrocket if we do not make significant changes in how we insure all members.Work all your life for the state, have to drop insurance due to the cost then become bankrupt when you get sick. The cost of living increase for retirees has to be yearly to be able to keep up with rate increases. I would be happy to pay a larger co pay for doctor visits and perscriptions for a lower insurance rate. OPEA... Help!!!!

Mon, November 17, 2008 @ 12:22 PM

8. state employee wrote:
I heard on the news that the Teachers Union was going to ask to tap the Rainy Day Fund to increase spending for our schools.

Mon, November 17, 2008 @ 7:28 PM

9. Thomas Kalayilparampil wrote:
This year's historic election has drastically changed the political landscape at the State Capitol. Next year's lobby day is critical, but we need to start the grass roots organizational work now to recruit more state workers to OPEA, to preserve our benefits. State Employees needs to more politically aware and pro active in the coming years!!

Tue, November 18, 2008 @ 8:23 AM

10. Concerned wrote:
If they say there is no money for raises, where is the MONEY? It seems that they can keep hiring more state workers, but can't come up with enough to give us our raise or a CHRISTMAS BONUS! It would be a great change if we could be allowed a Christmas bonus. The state or government is too tight.Legislature needs to come up with a new wave of income pay for state employees . The government does not know how to manage income for the employees.

Tue, November 18, 2008 @ 10:23 AM

11. Concerned wrote:
If the state doesn't have enough money for their worker's, then why do they keep hiring more people? The legislature needs to come up with a plan for the state workers to recieve a Christmas bonus. We have never had one. Other companies give their employees a bonus. Why not the State workers who spend tireless hours? We should earn one,for as much time that is put into it.

Tue, November 18, 2008 @ 10:28 AM

12. B wrote:
I dont' think I'll ever retire. Can't afford to. I'm scared to even think about changing jobs becuase I'm afraid a new insurance carrier won't pick me up since I had Pre-cancer 4 years ago.

Tue, November 18, 2008 @ 2:57 PM

13. Ted wrote:
With the Republicans over the Senate and the House, we're screwed, period. I've got 22 years in, I'm tired, I'm going back to the private sector where the only politics is in the office.

Tue, November 18, 2008 @ 9:09 PM

14. B wrote:
hey, have we actually heard anything about possible budget cuts and layoffs?

Wed, November 19, 2008 @ 11:52 AM

15. concerned employee wrote:
Hello,
I can relate to what Hank wrote. I am not concerned with budget cuts. State workers have been left out. We need to get it in writting that we get mandatory raises each year. The other option is to let state workers vote yerly if they want a raise (kind of like the judges do.) If soemthing is not done this upcoming year we will be three years behind on wages. I am also willing to camp out at the capital. Do us state workers have a welfare mentality? Just get enough to keep the lights, on, but not enough to one day retire? The rainy day fund is in need. It is past raining. Anyone else get a PMP done this year, without a raise attached to doing a great job??????? What is the purpose of it????? this is one-sided. We need people in "position who care about the working man"

Wed, November 19, 2008 @ 4:38 PM

16. Tom Dunning wrote:
At this point everything is speculation. I do think that anyone and everyone who keep tabs on the state budget believe that the revenue that the legislature will have to work with will be down.

With that revenue, the legislature will have to decide what to fund. So far, we've heard what common education is asking for in new $$$ and it is a bunch, we've heard that higher education will impose tuition increases unless they get $80 million in new $$$.

This will be a tough session. The tax cuts enacted a couple of sessions ago have limited the state's ability to raise revenue.

The person to watch is Rep. Ken Miller from Edmond. He is really the one who will guide how the money is spent. Glenn Coffee who is the Senate Pro Tempre should also be watched....Neither are great friends of public employees and each one is influential.

I believe there are people in the legislature who want to pay us what we need to keep employees. But, there are also those who would like to cut the number of employees. They may be using the lack of increase to run folks off.

In child welfare, OKDHS has around 1000 Child Welfare social workers. They trained 400 new workers last year. That's a 40 percent turnover in one year......There are other jobs in other agencies just as tough and turnover is just as great.

This session, I think OPEA needs to be tougher than ever with the legislature. But, it can't be a handful, with 34,000 state employees we should be able to get more than a few knocking on the capitol doors. If legislators see only a few employess, they'll rationalize that it must not be that bad or more would be complaining.

I think benefits are at risk with this new makeup of the legislature. Our longevity pay (which has not been increased since 1988 or so) may be on the table as a "cost saver". We all know where insurance costs are going and there are some who want to change our retirement to a 401k type plan.

Should be interesting....ok..off soapbox.

Wed, November 19, 2008 @ 7:06 PM

17. Protag wrote:
There are somethings that I would actually go for. I would like the opportunity to control my own retirement money.. I have 25 years left until I feel comfy enough to retire and I know that righ tnow I am doing a much better job managing my soonersave than the state is on its logn term investments.

I would love to see a program where those that have 20-25 years until retirement, had the opportunity to put that money in the state side of the soonersave program... If you monitor it and make the right choices you can blunt any of this crap going downhill..

I couldn't see something like that being mandatory.. but the option would be nice..

Thu, November 20, 2008 @ 7:24 AM

18. mike wrote:
This is to Ross: I am sorry that I can not agree with you...... that kind of thinking is exactly what they want us to do,,,,, worry about protecting what we have and then we miss the boat on pay increase....... the money is there it just takes strong voices to be heard,,,,,, teachers are getting the money because they are 40,000 strong in OEA, we could be that strong if all 36,000 state employees were part of OPEA.... the only Association speaking on our behalf.... we can get out share but we have to take responsibility and do more then just our 8 hours and go home,,,,,, we all have to take an active role and take responsibility for our jobs and if they are to become better we have to stand up and be heard!!!!!!!!!

Thu, November 20, 2008 @ 4:10 PM

19. Hank wrote:
Should we let the people of Oklahoma know that Sen. Coffee is okay with child abuse since he will not ensure that we can keep enough staff to do the job? What is the average case load for a DHS child welfare worker? In Lawton it’s about 220 children to every worker. So by default the current Legislation is okay with the mistreatment of mentally ill adults, the abuse of children and the gradual starvation of needy families. If this is not a true statement then stop the bleeding of the Oklahoma Public employees system and their agencies.

Thu, November 20, 2008 @ 4:29 PM

20. State Employee wrote:
I totally agree w/Hank. I think that is exactly what the Legislators and Governor are saying when they refuse to adequately fund our agencies. I also can't believe that education is needing more money, not when we have 2 of the highest paid university presidents in the country. Threatening tuition hikes unless they get more money? Why don't they just take from the top and spread it out? Sounds a lot like corporate greed to me. On that note, let's not forget our legislators... who give themselves pay raises when they already are some of the highest paid in the country. And yet, we state workers are among the lowest paid in the whole country.

Fri, November 21, 2008 @ 12:19 PM

21. mike wrote:
amen hank..........

Fri, November 21, 2008 @ 3:54 PM

22. Ross Jury wrote:
Mike, I had to take four furlough days the last time there was budget cuts. The timing is going to be terrible to expect any raises. Thats just being realistic. We don't know yet what kind of budget they will have to work with. We have to continue to be heard, but at the same time be realistic. Personally I don't think the teachers association is realistic at all, and obviously they could care less about state workers in general, they have their own agenda.

Tue, November 25, 2008 @ 6:15 PM

23. mike wrote:
Ross, you are correct, but the point that I was trying to make is that if we devote all of our attention to trying to keep what we have, then we will miss the boat on pay raises.... there will be money, there was money last year but law makers lead everyone to believe that the state was short,,, we were short of what they thought we were going to have, but the money brought in was more then the year before. We can keep what we have and still make strides in a pay increase...... the best defense sometimes is a good offense!!!!!!!!!!

Mon, December 1, 2008 @ 2:50 PM

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