Bargaining Update: June 25
As the end of our current contract draws closer (June 30!) it’s important for our members to maintain the same strong support for our union that you’ve shown throughout negotiations. Please join us at the following events this week:
Town Hall: Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 26, from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. in UHS 8B60. This is your opportunity to ask questions about the proposals that are still on the table, as well as learn more about what happens (up to and including a strike) if we can’t reach agreement by the end of our current contract. The town hall will be live-streamed** for members who are unable to attend in person — the link will be sent via email. Light refreshments will be served.
Green-Out the Board: Thursday, June 27 at 1:15 p.m. — wear green and meet us at the Robertson Life Sciences Bldg. atrium at 1:15 p.m. for our action at the OHSU board of directors’ meeting. RSVP here.
**The live-stream for this town hall will be presented using Nexus rather than the Echo360 system that we’ve used previously. This will allow for a more interactive experience for those viewing, but it will require a bit of additional setup if you haven’t previously used Nexus. It’s recommended that you connect using Google Chrome as your browser — if you use a different browser, you’ll be directed to use the Nexus app. You can download the Nexus app for Windows here and for Mac here. If you wish to download the Chrome browser, you can do that here.
We’re excited to share our bargaining financial-impact calculator that will show our members the gains you would see in your paychecks based on Local 328’s initial economic proposals and how much money you’re likely to lose based on OHSU’s initial proposals (based on raises vs. insurance take-backs). You can also see how your vacation cash-out amount would be reduced under OHSU’s PTO proposal. The Excel spreadsheet can be downloaded here. A Google Sheets version can be downloaded here. To use the calculator, after downloading, click Enable Editing at the top of the spreadsheet, and then just enter your information in the green cells (some cells have drop-down menus) and the spreadsheet will calculate everything for you. We’ve also included a section that will show you the potential gains that would offset losses during a potential strike. We’ll demo the calculator at the town hall tomorrow. (Note: A earlier version of the calculator overstated the cost of dues. If you downloaded the spreadsheet prior to June 28, please grab an updated version for the most accurate estimate of the financial impact of the bargaining proposals.)
Today our bargaining team met without OHSU, since our state mediator was unavailable. The team reviewed the 20 or so non-economic proposals still on the table and decided on responses to prepare for OHSU. We also finalized plans for upcoming bargaining events and actions. At the end of our session, we split into smaller teams and visited work units to distribute flyers and treats for our members.Our next mediation sessions with OHSU will be held on three consecutive business days: Friday, June 28, and the following Monday and Tuesday, July 1 and 2. If there hasn’t been significant movement toward an agreement after this point, you should expect escalation, which will likely include an informational picket, other actions and a strike authorization vote.)As we move into the final phases of bargaining, it's imperative to consider what you’re willing to do if OHSU will not move at the table. OHSU proposes financial take-backs every contract because it thinks our members will just lie back and accept it, but you have the power to prove OHSU wrong and say “enough is enough.” Our union’s ability to bargain a fair contract without take-backs lies in our members’ hands.