Solidarity with BERG — Point of Action #8: Invest in Programs for Black Employees in All Positions
To the BERG: Our union sees, recognizes and values the incredible leadership and perseverance of our Black colleagues at OHSU. We stand in solidarity with the BERG. AFSCME Local 328 has been reflecting as a union, and we recognize our ability to do much better.
As stated in our December 2020 letter to the OHSU Black Employee Resource Group, AFSCME Local 328 has committed to stand and bear witness to the BERG’s letter sent to OHSU leadership and the board of directors on August 31, 2020, which called out concerns around OHSU’s racist practices, particularly those impacting Black employees. This month we address the eighth of the BERG’s 14 Points of Action, which is to:
Invest in management and leadership training, as well as mentorship, sponsorship and other career-development programs, for Black employees in all positions.
OHSU’s response to BERG Point #8 starts with OHSU stating that a plan has been developed to provide leadership development, mentoring and career planning for BIPOC employees and this plan was shared with the BERG in Aug. 2020. Local 328 is curious about the following:
What was the plan? The Local 328 bargaining unit comprises a large percentage of OHSU’s BIPOC workforce. Our union would love to work with OHSU to achieve anything that promotes the advancement of our represented employees.
How has the plan been going? How do things currently stand? How has it evolved?
OHSU also committed to creating two new positions: a senior HR specialist and a career-development specialist. Have these positions been filled? Is it prudent that they report centrally to HR, given all of the upheaval and concerns surrounding HR practices? These roles are intended to provide support for all “mission groups.” What defines a “mission group”? Are employees divided by hospital, university and research or are employees broken out into their representation groups (e.g., union represented, faculty, unclassified)?
Our union is currently halfway through analyzing the BERG's 14 Points of Action and OHSU's responses. As of this writing, it has been one year since the BERG presented these points of action to OHSU, yet many of the time-bound commitments that OHSU made in its response to the BERG have not yet occurred. For this reason, Local 328 calls on OHSU to provide a public, updated response to the BERG on all of the programs, projects and undertakings that it initially committed to. It is important for OHSU to communicate whether the employer is on track or off track regarding the commitments outlined in the response to the BERG and OHSU's Black employees.
AFSCME Local 328 continues to hold the entire OHSU community accountable (including but not limited to members of our bargaining unit, OHSU leadership, students and researchers) to do their part — individually and collectively — in remaking OHSU into an anti-racist institution. In order for this to happen, we must all be accountable and demonstrate transparency. As such, we stand with the BERG and their call for OHSU to invest in training, mentorship, sponsorship and other career-development programs for Black employees in all positions.