Primary elections for the Utah Public Employees’ Association (UPEA) second vice president position will be held Dec. 15 – Jan. 15. Please familiarize yourself with the candidates and make an informed decision. Within UPEA, the second vice president’s responsibilities include:
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- serving as chairman of the Resolutions Committee, which reviews resolutions and makes recommendations to the General Council and proposes a platform for the coming year
- Represent the State Board as a voting member of the Citizen Action by Public Employees’ (CAPE) Committee
All UPEA members will receive ballots by email when it is time to vote.
Here are the three candidates and their platforms:
Wayne Anderton
Hi, my name is Wayne Anderton. I have been employed by Tooele County for the past 22 years, and I’ve been a member of UPEA for 20 years. I have spent the past several years as an active member of UPEA in Tooele County, working full time and pursuing my bachelor’s degree in natural resource management. The experience I have gained through my employment, my higher education, and the opportunities I have had working with UPEA on issues such as wage disparity, cancellation of post-retirement benefits, and leave compensation changes give me the confidence and leadership skills to help guide the Association for the next four years. I have confidence in my ability to work with UPEA’s officers and leadership to make the organization stronger and more unified. I intend to focus on the following objectives as second vice president:
UPEA has a diverse membership that includes state, county, local government, public safety, and retired members. The Association has something to offer every public employee, and I am committed to work with UPEA staff to create a strong voice for all public employees. Through communication and representation, I will work to increase UPEA’s membership.
Utah’s greatest asset is its public employees. As an officer of UPEA, I am committed to create a positive public perception for public employees through education of both the public and elected officials.
I will work with the excellent UPEA staff and leadership to effectively communicate to elected officials the economic position and needs of Utah’s public employees. I will help create a plan to educate policymakers and other stakeholders about the tremendous work public employees do for the citizens of this state. In return, public employees’ pay and benefits need to be at the forefront of discussions, and I will help organize and implement a long-term plan to address the pay and benefit needs of public employees.
Desmond Lomax
Hi, my name is Desmond Lomax. I have been employed by state of Utah and Utah for the past 20 years, and I’ve been a member of the Utah Public Employees’ Association (UPEA) for five years. I have spent the past several years as an active member of UPEA in the Law Enforcement District. I am currently on the Advisory Council and I love it! I hope to expand my role with UPEA by helping to support the following initiatives:
I want to reach out to all facets of government to encourage UPEA membership. I believe in using technology and providing future members with a better understanding of the benefits UPEA offers. I believe sharing our personal stories of the benefits of UPEA on our online newsletter for current and incoming members would be a powerful start.
I have a degree in political science with an emphasis in American government. I believe I have the tools to add new ideals to our representation at the Capitol. We need to be seen as a whole body or collective of people with a desire to change and improve our government for the benefits of our membership. We can and will do this!
With enhanced representation, I believe better compensation and benefits will be accomplished. We need to improve the benefits for our retired people. (I soon will be one of you.) We also need to improve the day-to-day salaries of all employees. While the growth of the state is evident, the state has fewer employees. We are doing more with less and we need to be compensated for this.
I invite you to vote for me. I can be reached via email, desmondlomax@gmail.com. I would be happy to answer any other questions you may have.
Christie Workman
My name is Christie Workman and I am thrilled to be running for UPEA second vice president. I have worked for the state of Utah with the Office of Rehabilitation for 23 years. I joined UPEA during my first year with the state and I’ve been participating and supporting ever since. Currently, I serve on the UPEA State Board of Directors and am chairwoman of the General Council Committee. I truly believe in the Association and its ability to enact positive changes for public employees, and I feel proud to be involved.
If elected as second vice president, I would prioritize educating employees about UPEA’s importance. There are several employees who are unaware of what UPEA does to protect the workforce and enhance all aspects of our jobs. We are stronger in numbers and I want all individuals to know that their membership is important to UPEA’s success. I will work to increase awareness and support for the Association.
Additionally, I will support the legislative goals of the Association, especially increasing total compensation. In my 23 years with the state, I’ve seen a lot of changes when it comes to employee compensation. During the recession and all of the benefit changes that followed, employees were promised increased compensation when the state recovered. Now is the time to make good on that promise. Compensation should not take a back seat during the legislative session and I intend do everything I can to increase legislators’ awareness.
I’m humbled to be a candidate for UPEA second vice president. Thank you.