1/8 Bargaining Update
Hello union siblings!
The first bargaining session took place yesterday on January 7th with the teams going through introductions, ground rule discussions, and a few proposals being offered by OHSU.
For those unaware, how bargaining works is that proposals and discussions can be offered from both parties, but this does not necessarily mean that they have to be included as is or will appear in the final contract at all.
There were a number of proposals offered by OHSU yesterday including housekeeping and language corrections, but there were three large proposal changes by OHSU that our bargaining team disagree with:
A proposed change to the reclassification process where an AFSCME member could only reclassify to a job in the same series, regardless of what work out of class they were doing. They would also be required to prove 50% of the jobs daily work was the higher classification as well in order to apply for the reclassification.
A proposed section that would create paths to force workers to return to office. Here is the specific language proposed:
Return to OHSU Work Site.a. Hybrid Remote. If the Employer increases the number of days that hybrid-remote
workers located within forty (40) miles of the specified OHSU work site are required to
work at an OHSU work site, it shall provide at least twenty-eight (28) days’ notice.
b. Fully Remote. If the Employer requires fully-remote employees to work at an OHSU
work site, it shall provide at least sixty (60) days’ notice to fully-remote workers whose
remote worksite is within forty (40) miles of the specified OHSU work site.
c. Out of Area. If the Employer intends to require fully-remote employees to work
at an OHSU work site whose remote worksite is more than forty (40) miles from the
intended OHSU work site, then it will notify the union and give an opportunity to bargain
pursuant to ORS 243.698.
Instead of allowing members 14 days to respond to attendance concerns as is in our contract now, it would only allow 7 days.
As bargaining begins in earnest once ground rules are finalized and we pass proposals back to OHSU we will do our best to keep our members in the loop and up to date.
For Bread and Roses,
Sean Bovett - ICC Chair