Eugene Water & Elec. Bd. v. Pub. Emps. Ret. Bd. & John T. Wigle

*597**61Respondent John Wigle first worked for petitioner Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) as a temporary worker in a series of positions through a temporary-staffing company. EWEB, a public employer, later hired Wigle as a regular employee. When Wigle retired from EWEB, a dispute ensued over when Wigle had become eligible for retirement benefits from the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). The outcome would affect the amount of Wigle's monthly retirement benefit.

The dispute centers on what the legislature intended in a 1981 statute governing PERS eligibility. That statute provides,…