Oklahoma City--(March 6, 2010)The Oklahoma Public Employees Association is shocked and outraged at a local newspaper and the tactics it’s using in "bullying" its members.
"This is David versus Goliath," said OPEA Director of Communications Mark Beutler. "It is simply another way The Oklahoman's editors misuse their power to get their way. The citizens of Oklahoma must know the big guys don't always win; we have the truth on our side and we will use every means possible to win this battle."
The issue stems from The Oklahoman's insistence on making the birth dates of state employees a matter of public record. OPEA supported legislation this year that will keep that information private. Just last week, the Senate voted 44-0 in favor of SB 1753.
"This is our way of protecting our members," Beutler said. "Today's world isn't like it used to be. It’s not just about identity theft. It’s about protecting our DHS case workers, our corrections officers, the Highway Patrol, employees of the OSBI and the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, and every other state employee. Just because a person chooses to work for the state doesn't mean they must give up their right to safety."
Friday the OPEA urged its members to a "Call to Action," asking them to phone or email the editors of The Oklahoman, and question why they feel the need to have every state employee's birth date made public. State employees responded because they are concerned about the release of their private information. The Oklahoman retaliated and asked the state’s Attorney General to investigate employees who expressed their concerns.
"First, they obviously don’t know the difference between an association and a union. We are also a little surprised The Oklahoman would throw a two-year old tantrum and threaten our state's workforce," Beutler said. "We offered to meet with the editors face-to-face. They did not respond to our request, and instead resorted to this tactic. Clearly this is a misuse of the power of the press to intimidate private citizens. Our members were not engaging in political lobbying, but expressing their right to free speech. The Oklahoman's editors are bullying our members by threatening to have them investigated, but we have not violated the law. This is something we would expect to see from the old Soviet Kremlin, rather than a group of newspaper editors who make their living professing to advocate for First Amendment rights.”
Click the link below to read Saturday's Oklahoman article:
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-union-faces-ethics-investigation-in-stunt-to-protest-records-request/article/3444423?custom_click=lead_story_title
Posted on
Sat, March 6, 2010
by Mark Beutler