AFSCME Education Hours are Guaranteed
As the chair of your Local 328 Training and Education Committee, I have heard reports of some supervisors or managers potentially violating the AFSCME contract by denying education hour usage because the department is “too busy” or because the desired education is not directly related to the current OHSU job role that the Local 328 member is in. This may be a violation of the contract we have negotiated with OHSU. Section 22.1.1 of the AFSCME contract is intended to help foster an environment and culture where learning and career development are not just encouraged but guaranteed.
The contract is clear: “It is a goal of [OHSU] to promote education and training opportunities related to the employee’s position of employment [...] and/or to career development for positions at OHSU [...] Employees are guaranteed twenty-four (24) hours of job-related training per contract year”. Education hours are guaranteed. Education hours can be utilized at the Career and Workplace Enhancement Center for potential job roles at OHSU that you would like to eventually move into, whether in the near or distant future. Conferences, third party sponsored trainings and classes, YouTube videos are valid education hours also.
Also, per the contract, “supervisors will make every reasonable effort to accommodate such requests [for guaranteed hours of job related training]”. The word guaranteed in the contract means that every effort by supervisors should ultimately be successful efforts, even if that means scheduling your guaranteed education/training hours weeks or months into the future so you have time to ensure you are provided the opportunity to utilize these guaranteed hours.
Please cooperate with whomever you report to, plan ahead, and schedule these hours out months in advance if needed. However, if you are being inappropriately denied the utilization and scheduling of guaranteed education hours, please raise this as an issue in the Local 328 Hub to be addressed as appropriate. You deserve to have the Local 328 contract respected. You deserve to utilize the education hours guaranteed in the Local 328 AFSCME contract. You deserve to move toward your education related goals.
Whether you want to advance your knowledge and skills in your current job role or utilize education and training opportunities that may help you move into a future job role at OHSU, you deserve to take advantage of these guaranteed hours of training at OHSU.
Below is the contract for your reference (emphasis added):
