Supporters of Ex-SAIF CEO John Plotkin Will Petition Gov. John Kitzhaber

Ex-SAIF Chief John Plotkin
By NIGEL JAQUISS

The fallout from SAIF Corp. board's firing of CEO John Plotkin continues.

As WW reported earlier, the state-owned worker's compensation insurer fired Plotkin on May 9, just three-months after he started work. Thousands of pages of emails and other documents SAIF released pursuant to public records requests raise questions about whether SAIF's board, which is appointed by Gov. John Kitzhaber, had any basis for terminating Plotkin's employment. The documents show that at least four SAIF employees, including three members of the state-owned insurer's senior management team, have said that the anecdotal evidence used against Plotkin was false or misleading.

Plotkin has already filed a tort claim notice with the state, notifying SAIF he intends to sue for wrongful termination. He's also filed a lawsuit alleging that the board's actions in terminating him violated Oregon's Public Meetings Law.

Now, Plotikin's supporters are nearly halfway to their goal of gathering 1,000 signatures for a petition asking Kitzhaber to give Plotkin his job back. The signers include the names of many people who say they are current or former SAIF employees.

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