Bargaining-Session Update: April 9

Financial Reality

For our bargaining unit — Per Local 328’s housing/transportation survey last year:

  • Housing is a source of stress for 42 percent of respondents, with 40 percent struggling to afford housing payments.

  • More than one-third of respondents spend more than 40 percent of their income on housing.

  • More than two-thirds of respondents have moved at least once in the last five years in order to find more affordable housing.

The consumer price index for Portland in 2017 was 3.9 percent; for the west region (Portland-specific data not available) in 2018, it was 2.9 percent. Wages for our bargaining unit have not kept pace with the ever-increasing cost of living in or near Portland.

For OHSU — Per PowerPoint slides (“FY19 February YTD Results and Preliminary FY20 Budget”) that will be presented at the April 11 OHSU board meeting, OHSU reports:

  • Operating income through February is $116 million.

  • Earnings are $62 million above budget.

  • Revenues are up $83 million compared to budget.

  • Cash on hand of $1.5 billion.

AFSCME’s analysis of OHSU’s “Financial Statements and Supplementary Information” (June 30, 2018 and 2017, with independent auditors’ report) determined that OHSU has discretionary funds of $11.8 billion.

Bargaining-Session Summary

This week Local 328 presented our second round of economic proposals plus some additional proposals and counter-proposals, including:

  • 8.1 Across the Board Increases — A 5 percent increase the first full pay period following contract ratification and a 4 percent increase the first full pay period following July 1, 2020.

  • New: Lump Sum Payment — A lump-sum payment of 1 percent or $100 (whichever is greater) the first full pay period following Nov. 1 (for employees who were members of the bargaining unit at the time of contract ratification).

  • 12.1 Accrual of Vacation Time — Additional vacation days:

    • 1st - 5th year: increase from 12 days to 15

    • 5th - 10th year: increase from 15 days to 17

    • 10th - 15th year: increase from 18 days to 19

    • 15th - 20th year: increase from 21 days to 22

    • After 20th year: increase from 24 days to 25

    • No change for employees hired prior to Sept. 11, 1998.

  • 18.1.1 Posting and Awarding of Position — Expands the job-bid language so that posted salaried positions with a fixed schedule can be converted to an hourly position at the bidding employee’s discretion.

  • New: Preferential Hire List Task Force — Establishes a joint task force to ensure that the requirements, responsibilities and steps needed to successfully completely the PHL placement process is easily understood by employees and managers.

OHSU proposals and counter-proposals included: (a) modifying 5.28 Relief Employees to require employee availability for a range of two to six days per pay period (a change from four days), (b) rejecting proposed new language re: the handling of bullying complaints (OHSU did indicate a willingness to continue working on the issue) and (c) rejecting the union’s proposed change to 20.1.3 Written Feedback to shorten the time a manager has to provide written feedback during the probationary period (OHSU countered with language re: making an effort to provide feedback within a reasonable time after an employee’s orientation). OHSU also presented a number of proposals to change the language around the preferential hire list throughout the contract.The Local 328 bargaining team spent the afternoon working on proposals and counter-proposals.

Bargaining 2019Local 328Comment