Clarity of Return-to-Work Language Proposals

We’ve received quite a few emails and comments from our members expressing concerns about OHSU’s proposed return-to-work language for our contract. We want to assure everyone that OHSU is not currently taking any broad measures to bring remote workers back to campus, nor have they communicated any such plans with our union. The purpose of this language is simply to establish clear guidelines for how, when, and why OHSU can request a Local 328 member to return to campus. Here’s why this is important:

Currently, our contract does not specify when or under what circumstances OHSU can ask remote workers to return to campus. When this happens, we require "interim bargaining," which means we bargain with management, Labor Relations, and the affected member to work out the details—including timeline, work location, and conditions. After 90 days of this process, if OHSU doesn’t agree to our requests, they can impose their own terms. This, more often than not, does not benefit our members.

By establishing clearly defined terms around return-to-campus language, we can shift the power balance back in favor of our members. If we succeed in our negotiations, OHSU will need to provide a legitimate business reason to request a remote worker’s return. Newsflash: your boss simply wanting to see your smile in person won’t cut the mustard. Right now, there’s no protection in place to prevent your boss from calling you back for any reason, no matter how unreasonable!

Additionally, we want OHSU to provide a reasonable timeline for a return to campus. For example, if you’ve relocated to Vermont and are living in a winter wonderland, or you’ve decided to make Florida your home, we want to ensure you have enough time to make a smooth transition back if necessary. We want to secure as much time as possible to give you a fair opportunity to manage your personal and professional affairs.

Finally, if you’ve decided that your heart belongs in a different state and have no intention of returning to Portland and sloshing around in galoshes for half the year, we want to ensure you have the option for voluntary layoff. This would provide you with income and other protections while you search for a new job that fits your out-of-state life. Currently, voluntary layoff is not an option, but we are pushing to change that.

To sum it up, there are no plans for widespread return-to-work mandates. There have been isolated instances where members were required to return to work in clinical settings. Our experience of bargaining those returns on an interim basis  necessitates contract language that protects our members by setting clear, fair parameters around when and how OHSU can request you return to campus. We believe that having defined language in place is a crucial safeguard and ensures that OHSU takes action in the best interests of YOU, our members.