2007-2008 Platform
Adopted August 25, 2007
Compensation
1. OPEA will pass legislation that establishes a four-year compensation plan to bring state employee pay to market. Market pay should also include:
- Overtime pay;
- Shift differential;
- Hazardous duty pay;
- Uniform allowances;
- Holiday pay.
Accomplished by the executive order on state employee compensation signed by the governor.
2. OPEA will pass legislation that establishes a cost-of-living adjustment according to the Consumer Price Index. Will be included in the executive order on state employee compensation signed by the governor.
3. OPEA will work for pay equity in job classifications across agency lines. Will be included in the executive order on state employee compensation signed by the governor.
4. OPEA will pass legislation allowing for state agencies to pay education loan assistance for permanent state employees that have completed a four-year degree and have outstanding education loans.
Accomplished in HB 1114 signed into law.
5. OPEA will pass legislation raising the base pay for state employees so that all who work for the state receive a living wage. Accomplished in HB 1114 signed into law.
6. OPEA will work with the Office of State Finance to convert state employees to a bi-monthly pay schedule providing the transition does not include a pay lapse that adversely impacts participants.
7. OPEA will work with the Office of State Finance and the Office Personnel Management to change payroll policies so that employees will not be forced to bank annual leave in order to receive their paychecks on time.
8. OPEA will work for funding of the state performance pay system. Will be included in the executive order on state employee compensation signed by the governor.
9. OPEA will work for a community review of salaries of nursing, medical staff, and ancillary staff for employees working in state operated medical/long-term-care settings to ensure that pay rates are within at least five percent of the average salaries paid in the community.
Will be included in the executive order on state employee compensation signed by the governor.
10. OPEA will work for a pay raise tied to the consumer price index (CPI) with a base increase of $2500.
Retirement
11. OPEA will support the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirees System, Teachers Retirement System and Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System continuing as defined
Benefit plans.
12. OPEA will pass legislation refunding the excess contribution of retirees who retired prior to July 1, 1998.
13. OPEA will pass legislation providing a two percent annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for OPERS retirees.
14. OPEA will investigate finding other revenue sources to help fund the OPERS system.
15. OPEA will pass legislation returning all state employees to the Rule of 80.
Insurance
16. OPEA will work to maintain the state commitment of paying the total cost of health, basic life, and dental insurance for state employees and 75 percent of health insurance cost for dependent insurance.
17. OPEA will study the impact to the Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board (OSEEGIB) and Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) of allowing retirees a one-time opt-in to the state insurance program at Medicare eligibility.
18. OPEA will work to increase the retiree insurance subsidy.
19. OPEA will investigate making mail-order prescriptions available to state employees.
20. OPEA will research and promote a plan that will allow retirees to pay health care costs with pre-tax dollars.v
21. OPEA will support legislation that allows military retirees to opt out of health insurance, but receive the benefit allowance to pay for out-of-pocket expenses. Budget
22. OPEA will work to obtain funding for increases in operations of state agencies, including retirement and insurance benefits, fuel, and equipment costs.
23. OPEA will work in the legislative process to obtain additional funding for agencies with staffing shortages and high caseloads.
24. OPEA will continue to fight TABOR and other expenditure constraints that limit resources to state government.
Personnel
25. OPEA will work to stop the erosion of the merit system by fighting the un-classifying of positions that do not meet the criteria of unique work activity, market condition and specialization. In addition, the Association will work to reclassify positions that have been removed from the merit system and do not meet the criteria. OPEA stopped the legislation to unclassify Child Support Enforcement employees.
Privatization
26. OPEA will continue to oppose the privatization of state agencies, functions and jobs.
OPEA Operations
27. OPEA will appoint a committee of past and current leaders to propose Bylaws changes including, but not limited to:
- Term limits for members of the Board of Directors; and
- Proxy voting at meetings of the Board of Directors.
The Delegate Assembly will be voting on recommendations from the Bylaws Task Force that has been working on this project since the 2006 Delegate Assembly. Other
28. OPEA will pass legislation to allow state employees up to 40 hours of paid leave each year to serve as a student mentor or tutor or volunteer for a 501(c)3 service organization.
29. OPEA will support the construction of at least one public prison to improve the state’s negotiating position with private prison corporations and reduce costs of contracts.
30. OPEA will support a legislative or initiative referendum to bring to a vote of the people to remove the Governor from the parole process and create a full-time Pardon and Parole Board comprised of merit-protected professionals with experience in criminal justice/parole.
31. OPEA will work to provide Department of Corrections employees the option to transfer from the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) into the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System (OLERS).