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OPEA Presents “Soup Line ‘09” for Lobby Day

 

 

 


Like much of the private sector, state employees have been facing serious financial problems in recent months and years.  Those financial problems are even more serious because public employees are some of the lowest-paid workers around.

 

Lobby Day this year will drive home that point to our state lawmakers, as OPEA presents
“Soup Line ’09.”  It will be held Tuesday, March 10th at the State Capitol in Oklahoma City.

 

“Every state worker needs to make plans to be at Lobby Day this year,” said Sterling Zearley, OPEA Executive Director.  “We are reaching crisis proportions in public service, with some of our state workers receiving food stamps.  That’s why we believe the ‘soup line’ theme will really help us make our point that state employees can’t go on much longer.”

 

“Lobby Day:  Soup Line ‘09” will begin at 9 am with registration in the second floor rotunda.  OPEA members and state workers can visit with their legislators until 11 am, and the Soup Line Rally will be held on the Capitol’s south steps at 11:30.  Following the rally, OPEA will provide free soup and crackers to everyone in attendance.

 

“We keep hearing about how much less money our legislators have to work with this year,” Zearley said.  “Now they know exactly what state employees face each month…trying to stretch that dollar a bit farther.  But we have gone as far as we can, and now is the time to get us out of the soup line.”

Posted on Mon, February 2, 2009 by Mark Beutler

17 comments (Add your own)

1. tom dunning wrote:
Don't let the reported state budget situation keep you from attending. This year is as vital as any.

Now is the time to request leave and adjust workloads for that day. Attendance is that important.

If workers can travel across the state to attend, surely local folks can take part of a day to attend.

Tue, February 3, 2009 @ 10:28 AM

2. worker drone 08243 wrote:
"there will be no raises for state employees."
---gov brad henry channel 8 news tulsa www.ktul.com

Tue, February 3, 2009 @ 12:41 PM

3. J wrote:
The Legislature cut taxes a few years ago to make sure they will have no money for state employee pay raises.

Wed, February 4, 2009 @ 6:59 AM

4. state worker wrote:
The Daily Oklahoman has a story @ the Teachers Union asking for more money and Sen. Corn is sponsoring a bill (that the Senate is backing) for a $3000.00 a year teacher pay raise for 3 consecutive years.
I just can't take anymore of the unfairness of it all. They just really flat-out don't care @ us, do they?

Thu, February 5, 2009 @ 12:12 PM

5. Hank wrote:
Many of our legislators act if there is something noble about sticking with Brad Henrys policy of not touching the rainy day fund. State employees are being made out to be greedy by the media, lets tell everyone about our legislators being paid 38,00 a year plus 95.00 a day per diem and their mileage is paid as well so that adds up to about 45,000 a year for 12 weeks of work. How dare Gov. Henry and legislators talk about budget cuts when the mentally ill and abused children are falling through the crack of our system due to short staffing? We have to speak out and it will take all of us let’s get the word out and March on the capitol.

Thu, February 5, 2009 @ 1:21 PM

6. I got an idea... wrote:
The State of Oklahoma can save $80 million dollars a year by giving state employee raises and reducing turnover

Fri, February 6, 2009 @ 12:15 PM

7. Worried wrote:
I am getting worried, as I keep hearing the word "furlough" from some of our state representatives. I already make less money than I did 2 months ago, due to the rise in insurance costs. I have the same benefits but bring home approximately $80 less than I did in December. I can't afford another pay cut. I cannot imagine how we would cope with our workloads with mandatory days off, when we are already overworked and understaffed. I hope OPEA will fight any type of furloughs. I suppose the legislature will furlough us and give the teachers a raise!

Sun, February 15, 2009 @ 1:06 AM

8. Renee wrote:
I have a problem with them cutting off overttime at DHS. We are overworked & the only way to keep up was to come in on the weekends & stay late to get it all done. Now if you do this, you get comp time, & you have to stay home before the next pay period to get that taken care of. So where are we? I need to overtime pay. The state needs me to finish all this & they now think it can be done in 40 hours when it couldn't be before now?

Sun, February 15, 2009 @ 1:05 PM

9. J wrote:
I arrive early and stay late. Our agency states no overtime for us or comp time even when you have more work than you can do in 40 hours.

Mon, February 16, 2009 @ 9:13 PM

10. Kristy wrote:
Article in the Tulsa World on Sun Feb 15th. Coffee's staff gets big raises, a legislative assistance rec'd the largest raise, she went from $29,000 to $46164, that's a difference of $17164. He gave 6 of his employees raises that totaled over $65,000. He was quoted to have compensated them based on what they were worth.

Tue, February 17, 2009 @ 8:40 AM

11. another state employee wrote:
Alot of employees in our Agency are eligible to retire but cannot because of our low pay. We've worked hard for 30-40 yrs and cannot afford to retire. And we haven't been given raises in years...but somehow Gov. Henry find the money to give teachers pay raises....is it a coincidence that his wife is a teacher?
Do something nice for state employees for a change!

Tue, February 17, 2009 @ 2:21 PM

12. Sharon wrote:
We need a pay raise desperately, we keep losing money due to increase in insurance benefits and they added our longevity checks to our paychecks so that it is eat up with taxes and they give the teachers a pay raise every year when is it our turn to get paid for all the hard work we do for the people of Oklahoma. It is our turn NOW, please talk to your representatives and our Senators to encourage them to help us this year.

Tue, February 17, 2009 @ 3:13 PM

13. J wrote:
The legislature has let state employee pay go for so long, I don't think it will ever catch up.

Wed, February 18, 2009 @ 6:59 PM

14. FattCatt >*x*< wrote:
Tell your friends, bring your children give a face and family to show our Legislators!

Ask for time off NOW!...Or come on over for your lunch break and have some soup.

Do not miss lobby day on Tuesday, March 10th!

Sun, February 22, 2009 @ 11:58 AM

15. my opinion wrote:
It does not matter if there are one million state workers who go 3-10-09 to the capital. We are not going to get a raise. Read tulsa world 2-18-09 they have been given to someone else. the title of the article house member raises issues with Senate staff raises. There's where our raise went for the year.

Thu, February 26, 2009 @ 6:34 PM

16. Dee wrote:
In the mid to late 90s we were in the same scenerio does anyone remember what an actual scheduled walk out did for state employees?? There was an across the board raise and step raises that followed immediately. Can we actually do what the teachers did to get noticed. They walked now their union is listened to. It does help that our first lady was a teacher but I guarantee that did not start the ball rolling.

Fri, February 27, 2009 @ 4:06 PM

17. FattCatt wrote:
#15my opinion

So why even try...lets just wailer in our pity.
For every shot not taken is a shot that does not go in. So, just give up and continue to be abused and disrespected...ya that makes allot of since.
We must stand up for ourselves..."my opinion" I hope you give rally day a chance we need the the numbers to get their attention. One thing is for sure our Legislators are not going to beg us to take a raise...we have to fight for it.
Last year I was active with OPEA for the first time I went to the rally...I called my Rep. & Sen. just about every week I was voicing my opinion. One of the Legislators I talked to said:
"How can I take State employees seriously when only 250 people showed up for your rally. It looks as if all the State employees are happy with the pay they are getting."
How could I come back with anything on that she was right, as far as they know we are happy being the WORST payed State employees in the Nation.
So if you are wanting more pay, you have to show up for rally day and let the Legislators know we want a RAISE!

“Soup Line ’09.” Tuesday, March 10th 11:30. Following the rally, OPEA will provide free soup and crackers to everyone in attendance.

>*x*<

Mon, March 2, 2009 @ 9:14 PM

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