Aug. 6 Vaccine Bargaining Update
AFSCME Local 328 member leaders and staff met again with representatives of OHSU's management on Thursday August 5th to bargain the impact of Governor Brown's announcement of the Oregon Health Authority rule mandating vaccination or testing and OHSU's COVID-19 vaccination policy.
We are pleased with OHSU's new stance within their policy to have employees declare either vaccination completion or a declination and education piece. We believe this alleviates the burden of visiting a provider for a medical exemption and removes the unnecessary questioning as to the reason for declining a vaccine.
What we continue to ask for:
Badge sticker options: AFSCME believes that required stickers on badges to alert colleagues and management of vaccination receipt should be voluntary rather than mandated, due to the unfortunate political nature surrounding vaccination status at this time. We also believe that the ADA protects members from being required to publicly display this information.
Incentives for vaccination: AFSCME leaders continue to urge OHSU to provide incentives for vaccinations, both for those who have already been vaccinated and those who are choosing to do so now and in the future. It has been a grueling 18+ months and any incentive to help bring this pandemic to an end while showing employees how grateful OHSU for our hard work deserves consideration.
COVID sick leave: We need to help protect everyone, and making leave available for symptomatic employees getting tested and to cover leaves due to COVID illness remains essential. It is our hope that everyone will make the right choices and not come to work sick, but if you can't put food on the table or face disciplinary measures for doing so, it makes that choice a lot less straightforward. We hope OHSU continues the COVID sick leave policy to ensure the safety of everyone on campus.
We plan to meet with OHSU leaders again next week, and remain hopeful that we can partner with OHSU as much as possible to ensure employee rights, privacy and safety are always protected.