By JASON HOGGE

Local 3742 President

 

Dear Fellow Employees,

 

Some of you already know me, but for those of you who donÕt, my name is Jason Hogge. I recently took a position as your new union president, and it has been quite an exiting ride! I think I have learned more about our county this month than I have learned in my 7 years of county employment, and I know I have only touched the surface!

 

Working on our local Maintenance crew has given me an opportunity to hear concerns and complaints from a variety of different departments and people over the past few years. I have been privy to many conversations well beyond earshot of management, and I have also sat across the desk from our commissioners to ask questions or express my concerns. I have heard the jokes and the rumors, and I have seen some of the numbers driving the difficult decisions that are being made. I have made some wrong assumptions, but I have also found many truths. It is extremely important that we separate the truth from the rumors right now, so we can move forward in a productive manner. I need all of your help, in order to do this.

 

We, the Executive Committee, are working on some ways to communicate with all of you. This has been a challenge, but one that we will overcome. I have put together an internet survey that addresses this challenge for the present time. It is a very simple survey that gives you a place to ask questions, state facts, give your opinions, and even tell us about rumors. All this information goes into a spreadsheet for the Executive Committee to look at. You can find the survey at the following:

 

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dFM4Mmh0MEV3aG1mdjE1X1FoYU9vbkE6MA

 

Please use this tool as often as you like, and please be patient with questions, as we need time to find the answers. We also are working on a website. It is blank right now, but it will soon have FAQs, surveys, events, news, and such. The site address is:

 

http://www.oregonafscme.com/index.cfm?zone=/unionactive/local_main.cfm&localID=363

 

If you have not yet joined the union, I would like to encourage you to fill out a card. I know some of the difficulties we are facing are daunting right now, but we do have the option of working together to collectively institute some changes. I think it is critical that we start exercising our ability to be heard! I would love to see every one of you at the next union meeting, and I would ask that everyone come with the intent of working out a sustainable plan for our future. I believe it is essential that we address the root causes of our problems, instead of searching for the reoccurring temporary fix. The only way I know how to accomplish this is together. I know that our Executive Board and Bargaining team have expressed the desire to keep ALL of the employeesÕ best interests in mind, and I admire them for that. They are working for all of us, and I would like to see all of us standing behind them!

 

I want to express my sincere thanks to my friends on the E-Board for all their work, and to my friends who were willing to join the bargaining team in difficult financial year! IÕm looking forward to working with all of you!