Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2017)
PAGE 22 | August 18, 2017 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS PSU food service contract changes hands, union contract remains At PSU, Salt and Straw ice cream and Stumptown Coffee will be served by AFSCME members About 90 food service workers at Portland State University (PSU) continue to have a union — and a union contract — even though the company that em- ployed them lost its contract with the university. As of June 30, Aramark was out, and Chartwells was in — providing food services at Smith Memorial Student Union and university dorms, as well as conferences and events at Viking Pavilion and other cam- pus locations, including the Uni- versity Place Hotel and Confer- ence Center. But with help from university officials, Oregon AFSCME rep- resentative Ross Kiely was able to persuade Chartwells to recog- nize the existing union and agree to the terms of its contract COLLECTIVE BARGAINING State worker unions reach tentative agreement on ‘lean budget’ raises Oregon AFSCME and the State of Oregon reached tenta- tive agreement Aug. 9 on a new two-year contract cover- ing just under 3,000 employ- ees at 14 state agencies, in- cluding the Building Codes Division, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Liquor Control Com- mission, and others. It’s a tight-budget agree- ment, owing to a sizable state budget shortfall. “It’s a deal that meets the state’s needs and our mem- bers’ needs in a tough eco- nomic time,” said Oregon AF- SCME Executive Director Stacy Chamberlain. “Our members are taxpayers who live and invest in our commu- nities too.” The agreement contains no wage increase for the first year, and a 1 percent increase the second year, taking effect June 15, 2018. It also ends the “PERS pickup,” a decades-old agreement in which the em- ployer has paid the statutorily- mandated employee pension contribution — 6 percent of gross pay. To make up for that concession, the contract pro- vides for a 6.95 percent raise on Feb. 1, 2018. The new con- tract also maintains existing health insurance on the same terms, as well as the existing schedule of step pay increases. And for the first time, the con- tract will require employers to take action against workplace bullying and “micro-aggres- sions” — small unintentional sexist or racist comments that contribute to offense in the workplace. If members ratify it as ex- pected, the contract will run through June 30, 2019. Oregon AFSCME is the smaller of two large bargain- ing units of state employees. Service Employees Interna- tional Union (SEIU) Local 503 represents the larger unit, with 19,000 workers. That unit is mid-way through a four- year agreement, except that wages and benefits for the fi- nal two years were negotiated this year. Local 503 reached tentative agreement July 25 on similar terms to AFSCME, ex- cept that they’ll get a 1.85 per- cent increase in June 2018. The state also agreed to add a $15 an hour wage floor to the SEIU contract, which will re- sult in raises for several hun- dred state office workers and janitors. SEIU members agreed to give up their PERS pick-up two years ago. with Aramark, which runs through the end of 2018. The contract provides for medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid vacation, free meals, and wages that range from $0.25 to $2.25 above minimum wage, plus basic union rights like pro- gressive discipline, a grievance process, and seniority. Chartwells also hired all the Aramark employees who wanted to continue on. Baristas, cooks, cashiers, and other PSU food service workers have been represented by Ore- gon AFSCME since 2001, first at Aramark, then for two years under Sodexho, and at Aramark again for the last 10 years. They make up AFSCME Lo- cal 1336. Local 1336 president Nicole Stroup is also a member of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555, through her work at St. Johns Fred Meyer. Chartwells’ contract with PSU will run a minimum of five years. The company is bringing popular new vendors to campus, including Salt and Straw, Cha Cha Cha, Smith Tea Maker, Stumptown Coffee and Roman Candle Baking. Thanks to the AFSCME contract, they’ll be staffed by union members. Low Prices! Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9:30-5:30, Sun 12-6 Organized in Oregon and SW Washington Since 1904! PLEASE ENJOY THOSE UNION - MADE HAMBURGER AND HOT DOG BUNS AT YOUR LABOR DAY PICNIC . 140 Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers Local 114 B OARD OF D IRECTORS
