OPEA

In what the agency termed “clean up language,” the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department on Tuesday inserted a committee substitute that would unclassify “all professional and managerial positions” within the agency.

“These positions would include park managers, park rangers and other positions deemed ‘professional or managerial’ by the agency,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley.  “When OPEA discovered this information, we were surprised that Tourism would make an attempt to circumvent the merit system.”

In a response, the agency told OPEA “we are doing this to give everybody raises.”  Zearley dismisses that rationale.

“As both a park manager then regional park manager, I used the Merit System’s pay movement mechanisms as written in the 1999 Classification and Compensation Reform Act to provide pay increases as funds were available to do so,” he said.  “According to the rules you can give raises that are skill based, equity based and market adjustments – I can’t imagine what this agency is thinking when they attempt to disrespect both the Merit System and their loyal employees.”

According to the legislation, any position filled after July 1, 2008, which meets its criteria, will be unclassified.  Current classified employees who meet these same criteria can maintain their status.

“An old trick employed by agencies, including Tourism, is to offer pay increases to entice classified individuals to go unclassified,” Zearley.  “And once one goes unclassified they become an ‘at will’ employee.”

“These tactics from an agency such as Tourism are the reason OPEA exists,” Zearley said.  “We call on the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation administration to withdraw this language immediately or this association will use all of our resources to see that it gets the fate it deserves.”