On October 16, ten weeks after an arbitration hearing, an arbitrator ruled in favor of Local 328 on a termination grievance. The potential reinstatement of a wrongfully terminated member is a significant legal victory for our union. However, even more important is the reason why Local 328 won this case and what that means for our 7,000 represented employees.
Read MoreWe know that many Local 328 members are worried about how OHSU’s financial challenges will affect our bargaining unit, and want to address those concerns. What will happen to our bargaining unit is unknown at this time. It’s difficult to foresee a response to that doesn’t include a reduction in FTE or in salaries, but it’s important to remember that our contract offers protections. Whatever the proposed options are, they must be supported by a strong majority of our membership, or we won’t agree to them.
Read MoreWe wanted to let our members know that there have been confirmed cases of workplace exposure to COVID-19 within our bargaining unit. This highlights that it is an absolute necessity that you stay home if you are having any respiratory symptoms and let your supervisor know. There’s zero financial incentive to come to work if you’re symptomatic – if you’re staying home due to COVID-19 symptoms, you’re getting paid.
Read MoreWhile we encourage members to report concerns to our union when they need assistance, members who feel comfortable may also take concerns directly to management. We’ve published (with permission) a great example of a member who emailed management directly to voice his concerns about how his department has been handling the COVID-19 situation.
Read MoreThis is an unprecedented time for all of us, including Local 328. One important thing for you to know is that our union is still working for you. We are actively reporting issues, filing grievances, representing workers and strategizing ways to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. We all have a lot of fear and anxiety right now -- please know that our union has your back and we will get through this together. In this post we are sharing news about upcoming events, common concerns that our members have raised about the COVID-19 crisis and how to best communicate with our union.
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