Budget Talks Update #9 -- Working Toward Resolution
6/17 Update: We don’t much news report yet, other than that we’re getting closer to finalizing the LOA—we’re currently working on some language cleanup and answering clarifying questions. We’ll share the proposed agreement as soon as possible. The ratification vote will be open for a full week, so members will have time to review the document and ask questions prior to casting their vote.
6/12 Update: Our teams had a productive meeting on Thursday. We hope to finalize a letter of agreement next week, and will hold a members-only ratification vote on the LOA the week of June 21. We’ll share an update as soon as we have more news.
First and foremost, the AFSCME Local 328 COVID-19 Impact Response Team greatly appreciates the strong showing of support from our membership on the recent OHSU Now post about our budget discussions with the employer. OHSU absolutely reads those comments, and just like during bargaining, when our members speak, it moves the needle toward resolution.
Yesterday afternoon we received a comprehensive counterproposal from OHSU. While we were disappointed to learn that the OHSU Foundation “did not anticipate success” with a fundraising campaign to help save employees’ jobs, the counterproposal does contain a number of measures — mostly voluntary — that the CIRT believes we can work with.
The counterproposal includes elements such as voluntary FTE reduction, a voluntary retirement incentive program, staff redeployment (both voluntary and mandatory) and a joint COVID-19 task force that will address issues related to redeployment and other programs outlined in the letter of agreement. The LOA does not include any changes to or reductions in the wages negotiated in our 2019 – 2022 contract.
A priority for both OHSU and our union is to have a process in place for the members of our bargaining unit who don’t currently have enough work due to modified operations. These folks are currently being supported by leave with pay as needed, but LWP will end on July 5. As such, the proposed LOA includes a process for temporary layoffs (both voluntary and mandatory) that would last no later than December 31 — employees who don’t have enough work would be eligible for unemployment during this period and their jobs would be waiting for them at the end of the temporary layoff. These decisions would be made based on seniority. Due to the temporary nature of these layoffs, some provisions of Article 19 would not apply — for example, employees wouldn’t go on the preferential hire list, since their original jobs will be waiting for them to return to.
OHSU still retains the option to implement permanent layoffs in the future due to “changing business operations” — an option it has regardless of the outcome of these discussions; the protections in Article 19 of our contract will apply if permanent layoffs happen. In the event that such layoffs do occur, they will be due solely to a choice made by the employer.
The CIRT is hopeful that we can find resolution on this matter soon, and we look forward to tomorrow’s meeting with OHSU. We’ll provide another update as soon as we can. In the meantime, we wanted to announce that we recognize that folks want to have a voice in this process, so we’ll be putting the LOA to a ratification vote for our dues-paying members. We’ll announce details about this as soon as possible.