Your Wages: Pay-Range Adjustments and the Market-Based Wage Committee

Click here to read “Your Wages: Work out of Class and Job Reclassifications.” 

Most of us are familiar with the across-the-board pay increases we receive each year (usually in July) and the progression increases we receive on our anniversary, both of which are determined by our contract. Have you ever wondered how OHSU sets the pay ranges for each of the job classifications in our bargaining unit?  

What Is the Market-Based Wage Committee? 

A joint AFSCME-OHSU endeavor, the market-based wage committee meets throughout the year to review and discuss how OHSU's wages compare to other employers and to consider concerns about recruitment and retention. The MBWC is made up of employees represented by Local 328, OHSU HR compensation analysts and AFSCME staff representatives. OHSU gathers and shares market data from comparable employers (e.g., other academical medical centers and regional health-care institutions) about the wages they pay for jobs similar to AFSCME-represented classifications at OHSU.  

Before meeting with the full committee, our staff representatives and Local 328 members on the MBWC meet separately from HR to discuss all of the job classifications in our bargaining unit and the market data OHSU has collected, in order to understand any potential pay issues for each job classification. After this has been done, the full MBWC comes together and we share concerns with HR Compensation and make recommendations about the wage ranges of various classifications.  

Pay-Range Adjustments 

What happens if the MBWC finds learns that OHSU wages are lower than the market average? We developed a letter of agreement outlining wage adjustments the committee recommends based on the market comparisons we have for each classification: 

  • If the middle of the pay range for a job classification falls below specific guidelines for more than a year or two, there will be a wage increase for members in that classification. Per Article 8.4.3 of our contract: 

  • If the pay range for a classification is adjusted upward, any pay adjustment for employees in the classification will be recommended by the MBWC. Employees who don’t receive a pay increase will retain their original anniversary increase date. The new anniversary increase date of employees who do receive a pay increase will be the first day of the pay period after 12 months have passed. 

  • If the middle of the pay range for a job classification is above market — i.e., OHSU pays more than comparable employers — there will be a downward wage adjustment. (This does not happen often, because OHSU’s goal is to pay mid-market, not above market.) Employees in a classification that is downgraded won’t receive a decrease in pay. Per Article 8.4.4 of our contract:  

  • If the pay range for a classification is adjusted downward, the pay rate of employees in the classification will remain unchanged. If the employee’s current pay rate is higher than the maximum of the new range, their pay will be frozen and they won’t receive any pay increases until the top of the new range has exceeded the frozen rate of pay. 

Read more about the specifics in this letter of agreement. 

We’re Surveying Job Classifications and Need Your Input 

The MBWC recognizes that one major issue OHSU faces is inconsistency among certain job classifications across departments. For example, the PAS-specialist classification has become a catchall for employees whose duties do not fit into just one job classification; therefore, the job can look vastly different throughout OHSU.  

In order for our members to receive appropriate pay, recognition and opportunities for advancement, it is vital that we classify employees’ job accurately across all work areas at OHSU. In preparation for our upcoming contract negotiations, we will be surveying the following job classifications in order to get a better understanding of how these jobs are done differently across departments: 

  • Administrative assistant 

  • Administrative coordinator 

  • Community health worker 

  • Health unit coordinator 

  • Office assistant 

  • Office specialist 

  • PAS specialist 

  • Transportation aide 1 

  • Transportation aide 2 

  • Transportation aide – lift team 

Copies of the class specifications for these jobs can be found here.

This is a huge undertaking and we will need your help! Within the next couple of weeks, surveys will be sent out to employees in the above job classifications — please be sure to complete it when you receive it!  If you have a different job but have friends or coworkers in one of the jobs being surveyed, please reach out to them to ensure they’ve received and complete the survey.  

If you have questions, please email staff representative Sima Anekonda. 

Lia Sebring2 Comments