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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 1979)
Lane County negotiations stall ‘face to face’ ANALYSIS By KEN HASWELL Of the Emerald As the Lane County em ployees’ strike enters its seventh day, both sides move further apart, each claiming the other refuses to bargain fairly on the negotiating table. Last Tuesday, two American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees locals placed picket lines around the county's Public Services Build ing and numerous other county facilities. Except for a short office walkout in the county's clerical department in the early '50s, no other strike of Lane County em ployees has occurred. At the time of the walkout, the county offered the locals an 11 percent wage increase plus a retention of current benefits, all retroactive to July 7. The county’s Board of Com missioners must consider the total cost of taxpayer dollars spent to reach a settlement with the locals. Tuesday at 3 a.m., locals 628 and 2831 walked out of the negotiating room in the Public Service Building. The locals were asking the county for a 14.2 percent across-the-board pay raise which they say reflects a current cost-of-living increase plus a $21 cost-of-living adjustment to be paid ne*t spring. One hour before the midnight strike deadline last Monday night, Jeff Schrader, represen tative of local 628, said it was a “foregone conclusion" that the strike would occur. This leaves the question of whether the locals ever intended to reach a contract agreement that night. After negotiations broke off Friday afternoon, both sides still hadn t reached a settlement, and county services had to be cut to compensate for the ab sence of the 775 striking county employees. Board Chairer Vance Freeman said Friday morning that the county was operating better without the striking em ployees. He commented on in creased efficiency in the coun ty’s operation of the solid waste disposal sites — fewer people are working, but larger loads are hauled and fewer trips are made. "That’s economy," Freeman says. About 9 a m. Friday, the five commissioners met in executive session to hear Frank Priore, the county’s personnel director and head negotiator, explain the current status of the nego tations. Afterward, Priore attended a 1:30 p.m. meeting with the representatives of the two locals to present the commissioners’ current offer — a 13.5 per cent total package increase that Commissioner Jerry Rust an nounced publicly Friday morn ing after the executive session. The locals responded to the county’s offer with a flat rejec tion and refused to meet further with the county negotiating team, a move that placed the locals in violation of Oregon law which requires both parties in a labor dispute to meet with the representatives of the other side. The locals said they would meet only face-to-face with the the five commissioners and placed a deadline of 2:30 p.m. today on their demand. But a face-to-face confrontation with the locals could put the commissioners in a position where they would be Cultural Forum jresents t?n^ l-" vrfh special 9^s' AlanomeNotTooBaa Wednesday- Oclob« 3, 8 pro EMU Ballroom . p[sitv of Oregon campus U"‘ 4 n Students TiCk|?.50 Generar Puddc ^ Oregon Daily Emerald acting as individuals, not as a board that has been commis sioned to make decisions only after reaching a consensus. Some commissioners say they are willing to attend negotiations and listen from the bleachers, but they want some ground rules written before hand to avoid name-calling The locals refuse to provide the commission with any written ground rules. After the commissioners again met in executive session Friday afternoon to hear Priore explain the locals’ reasons for the rejection and the demand for today's face-to-face meet ing, the board made a public statement rejecting the face-to face meeting, but agreed to in struct their negotiating teams to meet "anytime" with the locals. The commissioners also u nanimously supported the county’s negotiating team, which the locals have been at tempting to discredit. Roger Yockey, executive dir ector for the locals, responding to the commission’s rejection, says the commission should be present at the negotiations and that the board wants “to play games and doesn't want to set tle." When Yockey was informed that the commission directed county counsel to file an unfair labor practice suit against the locals for refusing to meet with the county negotiating team, he said the county was acting prematurely. Yet, the locals filed a suit last week claiming the county was not negotiating fair ly on the table. The commissioners will meet in an executive session at 10 a m. today to discuss the strike and its effects on the county. s * V ■■ i Emerald photo Many Lane County employees have been on strike since Sept. 24 when AFSCME locals 626 and 2831 walked out of negotiations at the county's Public Service Building. Since then allegations have grown on both sides of unfair labor practices. J'J J J Art and Architecture Supersavers! Cork Boards 24” x 36” reg. $4.49 SALE $2.99 12” x 36” reg. $2.25 SALE $1.59 C-Thru Rub-On Letters 25% off Simmons brushes 50% off Grumbacher Golden Pallete Oil Paint 50% off Pickett Templates 25% off Pentel Staedtler ,5mm leads reg. 70 cents SALE 49 cents Luxo Lamps reg. $28.95-25.95 SALE $13.89 Sale prices last through October 6, 1979 UO BOOKSTORE 13th & Kincaid 686-4331 Hours: 8:15-5:30 Mon.-Fri. 10:00-2:00 Sat. Serving the University community for over 60 years. 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