Thank You for a Great Picket!

Approximately 1,400 people turned out on August 8 to support our union on the picket line. Please check out the event photo album and other picket posts on our Facebook page.

While the crowd consisted primarily of AFSCME Local 328 members, we were joined by supporters such as Jobs with Justice, teachers, postal workers, several AFSCME Council 75 locals (including OHSU Graduate Researchers United), the Oregon AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 49 and Operating Engineers. We were also quite pleased to see many coworkers represented by the Oregon Nurses Association marching alongside us. In addition, many employees brought members of their family, community or social circle.

Prior to the march, we heard from AFSCME International president Lee Saunders, who flew in from Washington, DC, specifically to support our picket, Oregon House of Representatives Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, Oregon AFSCME executive director Stacy Chamberlain and others.Rep. Williamson also mentioned to our union leadership that she had called Connie Seeley — OHSU executive vice president, chief administrative officer and chief of staff — and made it abundantly clear how serious the Dan Forbes resignation and the lack of a contract settlement with our union are.

We’d like to express special thanks to OHSU’s department of public safety, which was extremely helpful with crowd control and pausing traffic as needed, ensuring our picket was safe for participants and for OHSU patients and visitors.

Finally, we would like to thank all of our members who attended the picket — we couldn't do any of this without you. We’re not just stronger together — we’re unstoppable.