Bargaining Update: July 19
July 27 Bargaining Support Picket: We need your participation at our upcoming picket to push OHSU to make movement at the bargaining table! The picket is scheduled for the middle of a marathon two-day, in-person mediation session — a strong turnout at the picket could help us reach a settlement at the table. See the flyer for details, and RSVP here.
The teams met with the state mediator for the fifth time today. Next Tuesday will be a planned workday, since the mediator is unavailable. We’ll then hold two straight days of in-person mediation next Wednesday and Thursday.
As always, PDFs of the proposed contract language can be found at the links below. (Highlighted sections represent changes from the previously proposed language.)
AFSCME Counterproposals: Our union proposed the following today:
Article 2 Package: This article stipulates what activities our stewards may engage in, how much lost time is available for stewards and our executive-board officers, etc.
Discipline/Grievances Package: Our latest counterproposal clarifies some language and also establishes some guidelines around pre-grievance investigations of complaints of discrimination or harassment. We also continue to propose removing demotion as progressive-discipline option.
Flex-Staff Package: This package addresses 5.11 Flex Staff Employee (availability requirements), 8.4.5 Flex Employees (market-based adjustments), 11.2 Holiday Compensation), 15.1.4 Flex Employee Eligibility (insurance coverage) and Appendix B Conditions of Flex Staff Employment.
Insurance Package: We continue to propose that benefits dollars be based on actual hours worked (not on FTE). We’ve agreed to OHSU’s proposed language to move from a “lump-sum” model for benefits dollars (i.e., one amount that covers medical, dental and vision) to a model with three separate amounts — one that covers medical, one that covers dental and one that covers vision. We dropped our ask for employer contributions for all tiers of coverage from 100% to 95% (current contract language is 88%).
Other Counterproposals (see here and here):
9.X Sign-on Bonuses: We’ve made movement on the parity-for-incumbents language that we want added to this OHSU proposal.
10.1 Shift Differential: We’ve accepted some of OHSU’s language around when shift differential applies, and we’re now asking for evening differential of 7% or $1.50/hour (whichever is greater) and night differential of 12.5% or $3.00/hour (whichever is greater).
10.UX3 Unforeseen Environmental Hazard Differential: Since we reached agreement on catastrophic event/emergency leave, we dramatically reduced our ask here, moving from 40% to $2.00/hour.
13.2 Attendance Recognition: OHSU offers a 1:1 conversion for ONA, yet has continued to offer our members by a 2:1 conversion. We again proposed a 1:1 conversion of vacation to sick time for those of us with exemplary attendance. One change since our last proposal is that we’re now asking for 32 hours of VAC for 32 hours of SIK for 0 absences, instead of 40 for 40; current contract language offers only 40 hours of VAC for 80 hours of SIK for 0 absences.
MOU #UX5 Paid Family, Medical & Safe Leave: We’ve rewritten this MOU to reflect next year’s implementation of the state’s Paid Leave Oregon program.
MOU #UX13 Child-Care Reimbursement: We reproposed this MOU but are now asking for a reimbursement rather than a stipend.
MOU re: AFSCME Inclusion in Workforce-Development Initiatives: We’ve removed the specific 20% requirement in favor of more general language.
MOU re: Advanced Certification Differential: We’ve accepted OHSU’s request to address this proposed new differential in an MOU, with a task force making the determination re: the amount of the differential.
MOU re: Exit Interviews: Our counterproposal again includes the requirement for the employer to share exit-interview responses with our union (unless the employee declines), but have reduced our reporting request from monthly to quarterly.
Tentative Agreements (see here and here): A number of TAs were reached today, including: 14.1.7 Pre-retirement Counseling Leave, 14.2.7 Catastrophic Event/Emergency Leave, 21 Reorganizations & Classification Changes and MOU #8 TriMet Bus Pass Program. A list of TAs reached to date will be made available soon.
OHSU Counterproposals: The management team proposed the following today:
8.3 Merit-based Adjustments: OHSU has agreed to our proposal to clarify that employees may request a merit increase or bonus at any time, but rejected the rest of our proposal.
Call Package: This package addresses 7.8 On-Call (same as the employer’s last proposal), 9.2 Call Back (changes made), 10.2 On-Call Pay (current contract language), and two letters of agreement affecting specific departments (re-presenting one and withdrawing the other).
Mediation Economic Package: This package includes language that OHSU has moved on, language that remains the same since the last proposal, rejections of a number of union proposals (including applying longevity rate every five years, higher premium pay for mandatory overtime and a higher weekend differential) and language that our union still needs to respond to. Highlights include:
5.UX4 Preceptor: OHSU has agreed to refer to preceptors as “preceptors” instead of “clinical trainers” but continues to propose a stricter definition of what a preceptor is.
8.1 Across-the Board Increases: OHSU continues to propose raises of 3.5%/3%/3%.
9.1.4 Scheduling & Assignment of Overtime: OHSU continues to reject most of our proposed language in this section of the contract.
10.UX4 Preceptor Pay: OHSU continues to propose preceptor pay of $1.00/hour, with only certain job classifications being eligible.
10.UX7 Additional Need Incentive: OHSU has now specified an amount for its ANI rate: 20%. (Our union has proposed 70%.)
11.1 Recognized Holidays/MOU re: Juneteenth & Indigenous Peoples Day: OHSU continues to propose that we give up President’s Day in exchange for these two new floating holidays.
11.2 Compensation for Work-Unit Holiday Closures: OHSU has made some movement here.
12.1 Accrual of Vacation Time: OHSU has rejected our proposal that would allow employees to accrue vacation more quickly, but is proposing an additional day of VAC for employees who’ve been at OHSU less than 5 years.
14.2.4 Bereavement Leave: OHSU continues to propose only 12 hours of paid bereavement leave per year.
MOU re: Recognition Bonus: OHSU has countered our proposed retention bonus with an MOU offering a one-time payment of $500 for employees who work half time to full time and $250 for employees who work less than half time. Employees who’ve worked at least three years in our bargaining unit would be eligible for this bonus. OHSU contends that the current retention issues are limited to the pandemic.
A side-by-side comparison of the outstanding proposals, comparing our union’s latest offer with OHSU’s latest offer, will be made available soon.