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About The Oregon state employee news. (Salem, Oregon) 1959-1969 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1968)
Page 2 JUNE, 1968 OREGON STATE EMPLOYEE NEWS OSEA - Hospital Bargaining Conflict Resolved A tentative agreement has been reached between OSEA and the Oregon State Hospital on its planned reorganization, but not before considerable con flict developed. It took a meeting among re presentatives of OSEA,the gov ernor’s office, the attorney gen eral’s office and the hospital administration to resolve the issue. The trouble arose when the agency attempted to negotiate a reorganization agreement with OSEA’s advisory Collective Bargaining Council at the hos pital in violation of the bar gaining contract, OSEA’s basic collective bar gaining contract has been in force at the institution for over a year. A supplemental agree ment, dealing with seniority, was made a part of that con tract last October. The seniority agreement con tains the following provision: ‘'6, When unusual staffing circumstances arise caused by major changes of program or financing, assignments of per sonnel shall be made based upon procedures established by mutual agreement of the par ties at that time.” Some time ago OSEA’s repre sentative at the hospital, Don ald A . Beninger, was told by Richard French, OSH personnel OSEA-Pen Adopt Working Conditions A supplemental agreement covering a multitude of work ing conditions has been ne gotiated between OSEA and the Penitentiary. Among the provisions of the agreement is one that requires the Penitentiary to give four hours pay to employees report ing for work at their regular ly scheduled time. Field Representative Donald A. Beninger, who negotiated the document, said this should solve many problems. “ In past years, employees would report for work only to be to ld th ey v ie re n o t n e e d e d . They were told to go home and rep o rt fo r w ork on a d a y they had been scheduled to have o f f.” Employees called in to work on a day off, other than in emergencies, will be paid for at least four hours, unless oth erwise mutually agreed. The agreement establishes the work week at the Penit entiary as Sunday through Sat urday. “ Employees shall nor mally work 40 hours during this weekly period, consisting of five consecutive workingdays,” it says. It calls for all employees to get 104 days off each year. Those who get fewer shall be compensated. Other provisions in the agreement are as follows: ♦“ Compensatory time off shall be scheduled at a time mutually agreeable to the em ployer and the employee.” ♦“ Normally an opportunity to eat will be provided em ployees not more than five or less than three hours after reporting for work.” ♦“ The duties and respon sibilities of employees on each p o s t s h a ll b e p u b lis h e d in w r i t - te n f o rm and a v a ila b le to e m ployees.** ♦“ Special examinations may be given and used as one of the factors in considering sal- ary increases.” ♦“ Employees shall receive copies of memorandums to be placed in their personnel file submitted by other employees concerning their competency or activities.” ♦“ A grievance may be filed whenever adisagreement exists between an employee or a sup ervisor.” it hurts . . . . . . when an illness is followed by worry over the doctor and hospital's bill. Blue Cross can't make sickness any easier to take, but it can make your recovery a lot more pleasant. BLUE CROSS • of Oreg on P.O. BOX 1271, PORTLAND, OREGON 9 7 2 0 7 • PHONE: 228-1361 officer, that the agency was planning to recognize several of its units. He said it would involve a considerable amount of person nel reassignment. French further told Beninger that he intended to ask the members of the council to meet with him concerning the re organization. Beninger told French that the contract says the council is merely advisory. It cannot enter into a formal agreement. He further stated that the con tract requires any agreements to be negotiated between the state association and the ad ministration. It specifically states that lo cal units or committees of OSEA shall not be parties to agree ments. Despite this warning, French and Dr. Dean K. Brooks, OSH superintendent, met with the council and discussed a reor- v ganization assignment plan. The agency did not inform Ben inger of the meeting. After the meeting, French sent Beninger a letter which read in part: “ This is to confirm the in formal discussions and agree ment between the hospital and the employees Collective Bar gaining Council on procedures for handling transfer of Psy chiatric Aides at the time of our impending reorganization.” The letter wentontodescribe the procedure to be followed in the reorganization. Beninger told French that th e r e w a s no a g r e e m e n t b e c a u s e the h o s p ita l h ad t a ile d to n e gotiate w ith a u th o r iz e d OSEA representatives. Executive Secretary Thomas C. Enright contacted Gov. Tom McCall and the other two mem bers of the Board of Control. “ If the course of action taken by Mr. French and the hospital administration is allowed to proceed unchallenged, col lective bargaining, not only at the hospital but also in a ll other state agencies, will be meaningless,” Enright char ged. “ We simply cannot allow this contract to be breached so fla grantly....,” he declared. A meeting among represent atives of OSEA, the governor’s office, the attorney general’s office and the hospital admini stration was arranged. Among the items agreed upon during the meeting were the following: (1) Employees will be re- Brooks Denies Unit; Union Plans Appeal An AFL-CIO union’s request for a separate collective bar gaining unit of psychiatric aides at the Oregon State Hospital has been turned downby the hospital administration. The union, however, has filed notice it will appeal the decision to the Civil Service Commis sion. The request was made by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Em ployees Union Local 1722. Local 1722 submitted peti tions bearing the signatures of about 118 aides supporting its request for the separate unit. OSEA, which is the exclusive bargaining representative for the unit, submitted petitions c o n ta in in g th e s i g n a tu r e s of some 250 aides who opposed the unit. The association has been the representative for the unit since April 5, 1966, when it defeated the AFSC&ME union in a rep resentation election. The union request was turned down by Dr. Dean K. Brooks, OSH superintendent, “ It is my decision that such designation not be made. This is based upon the existence of a bargaining unit which appears Hospital Adopts Seniority Pact Selection of employees to fill newly established positions at Eastern Oregon State Hospital will now be made on the basis of seniority. The new policy is the result of a supplemental agreement to the basic collective bargaining contract recently negotiated with the institution by OSEA. “ No new employee will be hired to a specific department, ward, or shift if an in-service employee is qualified and de sires that particular position,” the document states. The new policy will apply in all cases “ except in those situ ations where its application would adversely affect capabil ity as required by manage ment.” In such cases the hospital will give due consideration to the personal desires of new em ployees in regard to their as signments. The agreement gives the hospital the right to place new employees on selected wards, departments, or shifts for limited periods of training and orientation. assigned on the basis of sen iority and request. (2) Seniority will include aides, practical nurses and unit clerks. (3) Procedures for reas signing social workers will be negotiated at a later date. (4) Conflicts in vacations and days off will be resolved on the basis of seniority (un der the terms of the existing agreement between OSEA and the hospital). to be adequately representing the affected employees,” he said. “ Less than half of thé affect ed employees have petitioned for the unit,” Brooks said, “ while nearly double the num ber petitioned against such a unit.” ♦‘Further, it appears if a separate unit were established the employees would select the same representative they now have in the broader unit,” he concluded. The unit is composed of all classified employees at the hospital with the exception of registered nurses. OSEA has negotiated a basic bargaining contract and a sup plemental agreementonsenior- ity w ith th e in s titu tio n . T he u nion’s a p p e a l b e f o re the commission has been scheduled for June 21 inSalem. 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