Oregon Employees Return To ‘Pent-Up Demand’ Officials Ask For Patience In Dealing With Backlogs

State officials asked the public for patience Monday as they tried to get canceled or delayed services back on track after state workers ended their weeklong strike.

While all services were available, officials warned of delays at Motor Vehicles Division offices, the Employment Department and the Human Resources Department.

“The lines are just going to be longer. The pent-up demand is now being served,” said Janis Collins, a spokeswoman for the motor vehicles agency.

Striking employees who returned to work for the first time in a week said they were relieved to back on the job but dreaded facing desks piled high with a backlog of work.

“I expect I’ll be inundated by phone calls the next couple of days to get caught up. At least at this point, that’s what I’m worried about,” said Bill Christianson, a Medicaid coordinator with the state Children’s Services Division.

About 12,000 of the 17,000 workers eligible to strike walked off their jobs one week ago. The numbers began slipping, however, as the week wore on. By Friday, about 10,000 workers remained off the job.

On Sunday night, Oregon Public Employees Union officials said they were satisfied enough with bargaining progress to call an end to the strike while negotiations continued in the contract dispute over higher wages.

Bargaining was to resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

In the various office buildings ringing the state Capitol mall, there was little evidence of tension Monday between those who had gone on strike and those who remained on the job.

“Things seem to be all right. We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Kim Walker, a project manager with CSD.

State officials said they appreciated the union’s action to end a strike that had disrupted such services as motor vehicles and welfare offices. It also delayed issuance of some insurance licenses, employment referrals and routine worker-safety inspections.

“But there’s still a backlog and we’re asking the public for a little patience,” state spokesman Mark Fryburg said.

However, there were no lines early Monday as the Department of Motor Vehicles office in downtown Portland opened for business for the first time in week.

Meanwhile, state economists issued a new revenue forecast Monday that could make it easier for legislators to find the money to pay for state worker pay hikes.

Paul Warner, the state economist, said the new forecast is $32.6 million higher than the previous forecast and includes a $29 million jump in lottery revenue.

However, some Republican legislative leaders are continuing to link any pay raises for state employees to approval of a bill to overhaul collective bargaining laws for public workers. Union officials and many Democrats oppose SB750, which limits the scope of collective bargaining issues.

“We need to be fair to public employees, but we also need to be fair to taxpayers,” Senate President Gordon Smith of Pendleton said.