stopthelies-200x200.gif

Join our social networks

facebook.jpg
twitter.jpg
youtube.jpg

Aflac Insurance

afl_wegotu_cmyk_pos.jpg

Syndicate

Welcome to KOSE!

The Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE) is a union for executive branch state employees, and the largest union of state employees in Kansas. All non-supervisory, non-confidential classified employees in the executive branch of Kansas state government (exclusive of higher education) are eligible to join KOSE.

KOSE’s mission is to make real improvements on issues that matter to state employees, such as compensation, pay equity, healthcare and retirement security, workplace safety, career development, and having a voice on the job. KOSE’s priorities will be driven by the ideas and input of KOSE members. That’s why all eligible state employees are encouraged to join KOSE and get involved.

KOSE Blog

    January 25, 2012
  • Lobby Day announcement

    • KOSE Announces Lobby Day Dates

    Brothers and Sisters,

     

    We are happy to announce that March 13th and 14th, KOSE will be having its annual lobby day. We will meet at the Topeka Ramada Inn (420 SE 6th Ave Topeka, KS) at 5 PM on the 13th. The reception will start shortly thereafter.

     

    On the 14th, KOSE Brothers and Sisters will head to the capitol at 7:00 AM-5:30 PM to address our grievances with current legislation and urge legislators to support state workers.

     

    Join us for this event by sending your information to info@koseunion.org or register over the phone by calling 1-866-518-8267 or 1-785-354-1174.

    January 12, 2012
  • KOSE Press Release 1/12/2012

    • Brownback's KPERS plan is bad math

     

    Tonight during the State of the State address, Brownback inaccurately described the events leading up to the current underfunding of KPERS as legislators failing to keep their promises. For over a decade firefighters, teachers, police officers, social workers and corrections officers paid their required amount while their employer failed its responsibility. Those very same employees who kept their promises throughout the years have publically stated they are willing to pay more.

     

    “The plan outlined by the Governor is simply bad math. KOSE endorsed a plan last year to tackle the unfunded liability with shared sacrifices from both the employee and employer. Our plan was responsible and cost effective in solving the unfunded liability issue,” Michelle Walters, KOSE President said. “The only thing the Governor’s plan would do is increase the unfunded liability and takes more security away from those in public service while costing the state more.”

     

    With an unfunded actuarial liability of over $8.3 billion, the governor’s plan for KPERS would further expand this amount by another $1.2 billion and attempt to resolve the unfunded liability by 2035. The total tab for the Governor’s proposed new plan between 2035 and 2060? An additional $13.3 billion.

     

    “The Governor has pushed through an agenda based on ideology and not facts. This is a partisan attempt that actually shifts more of a burden to the state. The very simple truth is that taxpayers will pay more for his plan than the compromise from last session,” Walters said. “The Governor has a responsibility to spend taxpayer money responsibly and to keep promises to those serving the public. The Governor’s plan spends $15 billion and does neither.”

     


     

    August 03, 2011
  • KOSE Press Release 8/3/2011


    • KOSE Takes Action Against the Department of Administration’s Proposed Voluntary Retirement Incentive
     
    State Willfully Ignores Statute and Memorandum of Agreement
     
    In response to the Department of Administration’s rollout of a Voluntary Retirement Incentive, today the Kansas Organization of State Employees filed three different actions to ensure the proper requirements of meet and confer are met before the program is effective for KOSE-covered employees.  The State is required, by Kansas statute and by contract, to meet and confer with the Union over any changes to conditions of employment, such as salaries, hours of work, retirement benefits, and insurance benefits.  The State previously scheduled a meet and confer session with the Union regarding the Voluntary Retirement Incentive, with the State and the Union agreeing to meet on August 10, 2011.  Despite the scheduled meet and confer session, the State proceeded to announce the program on August 2, 2011 without any notice or communication to the Union.
     
    To address the State’s violation of Kansas statute, KOSE filed a Prohibited Practice Charge with the Kansas Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) over the Department of Administration’s failure to meet and confer in good faith.  To address the State’s violation of its labor agreement with KOSE, KOSE filed a Step III grievance against the Department of Administration for the State’s failure to notify the Union of changes to conditions of employment and the State’s failure to meet and confer as required by the labor agreement.  To ensure both the Prohibited Practice Charge and the Step III grievance receive full and fair hearing, KOSE has also filed a petition for injunctive relief in Shawnee County District Court.  This petition asks the court to restrain the State from implementing the Voluntary Retirement Incentive for KOSE-covered employees until such time as the Prohibited Practice Charge and the grievance are heard before the appropriate bodies. 
     
    “KOSE is not opposed to the concept of a Voluntary Retirement Incentive.  However, in implementing this or any program, the Administration must adhere to state statute and to the labor agreement.  KOSE’s goal in filing these actions is to insure the State follows the necessary steps under the law and the labor agreement before implementing any program that impacts State workers,” said Jane Carter, KOSE Executive Director.
     
    “KOSE sought to meet and confer with the state several weeks prior to this announcement, and a date for meet and confer had been set.  For Secretary Taylor to implement a change to conditions of employment one week prior to meet and confer, with no notice to the Union, is quite disappointing.  This disregard for statutory and contractual requirements to meet and confer is troublesome on many levels,” said Carter. “Terms and conditions of employment include wages, hours of work, leave, retirement benefits, insurance benefits, and holidays.  If they attempt to do this, I can only imagine what further attempts will be made to chip away at the jobs our members do and the services we provide.”
     
    “KOSE had hoped to discuss our members’ concerns with the State during meet and confer, with the objective of developing a program that could meet the State's objectives while also ensuring employees, citizens, and KPERS were not negatively impacted,” said Carter.  “Disappointingly, the State clearly has the intent to ignore state workers in Kansas.”
     
    -###-
     
Home | About KOSE | Join KOSE | News and Alerts | Contact Us | KOSE Resources