1/28 Bargaining Update

Hello Union Siblings!

The bargaining team met with OHSU yesterday on 1/28. A few things were discussed such as clarifying language and cleaning up the contract to make it more readable. A few of the more notable items have not been finalized yet though.

The bargaining team and OHSU have been unable to come up with an agreement for ground rules but are getting closer. Our team feels strongly that an open bargaining with all of our members able to stream live or view a later recording is integral to making sure there is transparency in the process. This contract impacts all of our members day to day lives and you have a right to know what is going on, and to let your voices be heard.

As for proposals from our team to OHSU, the one passed was related to administrative leave. There is currently no obligation for OHSU to inform our union when they place our members on administration leave or for OHSU to pay our members equal to the shifts they would work while on paid leave. This means if you are a night/evening shift worker with differentials or are regularly scheduled for overtime shifts you would end up losing out on pay, even if the leave did not lead to any discipline.

There are also no rules regarding when OHSU can use administrative leave, how long it should last, and if it is part of a disciplinary track. These are the items the bargaining team are trying to address with the proposals.

We understand this particular issue may not have an impact on everyone, and the team acknowledges there are some very important and critical aspects of our contract that need to be worked on such as Appendix A, benefits, and wages. These issues are very complex and as such are being given the time and care that is needed in order to properly address them. While the team continue to work on those issues, working to try and make sure that the members who have been or could be impacted by Administrative Leave is a good step in the direction of getting the best contract possible.

Bargaining is a marathon, not a sprint, and this is just the first mile towards that finish line.

For Bread and Roses,

Sean Bovett - ICC Chair