The 503 voice., August 01, 2009, Image 1

SEIU 503, OPEU
PO Box 12159, Salem, OR 97309-0159
2,500 participated in the United For Oregon march on June 7,2009.
DAS Ratification Vote Under Way
Ballots have been mailed to 18,500 state workers
represented by SEIU Local 503 who will vote on
whether to ratify a tentative agreement on a
new two-year contract reached in July after eight
months of negotiations. Ballots are due at SEIU
Headquarters by September 8 at 5pm.
The DAS Bargaining Team called it "a victory
for fairness"and a testament to what unity can
accomplish even—maybe especially—in the
face of potentially dire circumstances even while
acknowledging that the agreement calls for shared
sacrifice. Members across the state seemed to agree,
pointing to a contract that continues fully paid
medical coverage, retains the 10th step, keeps layoffs
to a minimum and leaves all represented workers
with a higher pay rate at the end of the 2009-11
biennium than they earn now.
"From the start of bargaining, we have sought to
keep state workers on the job serving Oregonians
and to ensure that we do not shoulder more than our
fair share of the burden necessary to see the State
through the worst economic crisis of our lifetime,"
DAS Bargaining Chair Kermit Meling of ODOT and
team members said. "We feel that this agreement
meets those goals."
The contract calls for 10 to 14 furlough days over
two years, freezes steps for a year, and contains no
cost-of-living increases. Those terms are a far cry from
the State's initial insistence that ail workers agree to
26 furlough days, give up all step increments, and
give back the new 10th step. Specifics of the tentative
agreement, which was considered by the union's
elected bargaining delegates at a conference in
Portland August 15, are highlighted on this page and
laid out in complete detail with the ratification ballot
mailed to all members following the conference.
Health Coverage
Activity leading to the settlement involved lobbying,
worksite demonstrations, large rallies on the Capitol
mall and a huge march through the streets of
downtown Portland, June 7, leading to a memorable
gathering at Terry Schrunk Plaza with music, chants and
calls for the fair settlement. That came after much more
effort seven weeks later.
One key was a legislative budget that not only
preserved jobs by using new revenue, federal stimulus
funds and state savings to cut a $4.2 billion gap in half,
but drew a virtual roadmap to a settlement by holding
suggested savings from state employee compensation
in the 2009-11 biennium to $65 million. But legislators
acknowledged that they could only propose such a
deal and not enforce it because state law invests the
governor with the power to do all the actual bargaining
and even dictate terms of a settlement if the sides fail
to reach mutual agreement on a new contract.
And state negotiators tried to set the wheels in
motion for such an imposed contract in June, declaring
an"impasse"even though both sides were still coming
to agreement on issues at the bargaining table. That's
because such a declaration would start a sequence of
events allowing the governor to act unilaterally less
than six weeks later.
But after realizing that an unfair labor practice
charge filed by SEIU 503 attorneys with the State
Employee Relations Board might expose them to
liabilities in the event of an imposed settlement, State
negotiators withdrew the impasse declaration and
more progress toward an agreement continued in the
ensuing weeks. Meantime the four coalition bargaining
groups completed their work on language specific to
Human Services, Institutions, ODOTand Specials.These
agreements, which are part of the proposed overall
We protected fully paid family medical coverage. Premiums are maintained for full-time
workers and subsidies for participants in the part-time plan will be increased so that their
Furloughs
contract, are detailed on the State/University page at
www.seiu503.org.
Having gained the best they could from legislators
amid the worst economic downturn since the Great
Depression—including the most significant tax
reforms in memory and several legislative reprieves
for positions in state agencies originally targeted for
elimination—union members turned their spotlight
directly on Governor Kulongoski.
More than 400 workers rallied outside his offices
on the Capitol Mall and union members generated
hundreds of phone calls to him and participated in
massive informational picketing across Oregon, urging
a fair settlement. Allies of the union also weighed
in, and on July 27, with the ink barely dry on a new
impasse declaration by the state that would allow an
imposed settlement as soon as September 1, the SEIU
bargainers were able to reach terms for a new contract
they considered acceptable.
The bargaining team was comprised of Meling, Bill
Kinyoun ofODFW, Karen Miller of DHS, Theresa Arndt
of DOE, Dan Smith of OSH, Dan Ferguson of OYA, Rob
Sisk of DAS, Trish Lutgen of ODE and Marc Nisenfeld
and Nat Elder of OUS (for joint economic issues). Field
Coordinator Donna Glathar and SEIU 503 Executive
Director Leslie Frane led negotiations, and Linda Burgin
participated in her role as statewide president.
All workers covered under the contract will have
the opportunity to vote on the agreement, but
you must be a union member to vote. If you need
a membership application, please check with your
union steward, call your local SEIU office, or download a
membership application from the Join SEIU503 page at
www.seiu503.org.
We will take 10,12, or 14 furlough days over two years; 10 if you earn less than $2,450
a month, 12 if you earn $2,450 to $3,100 and 14 if you earn more than $3,100. Furlough
costs do not increase. The State will pay for premium cost increases up to 5% in each year.
time will count as time worked for the purposes of accruals and insurance benefits
Increases between 5% and 10% will be paid partly by the State and partly out of PEBB
and will be pro-rated for part-time and seasonal workers. Most furlough days will be
reserve funds.
implemented through office closures. Those of us required to take furlough days when
our offices are not closed or in facilities where closure is not feasible will schedule them
on a quarterly basis. Further details will be posted atwww.seiu503.org.
Steps
There will be a one-year step freeze from 9/1/09 through 8/31/10. While this is a
significant sacrifice, it is a huge improvement on the two-year step freeze the State had
proposed. Employees who receive a step in July or August 2009 will have that step "rolled
Non-economic
improvements
back" on 9/1/09 and then restored on 9/1/10. They will keep the money they got from the
Includes a classification study covering support staff and health care job positions that
must be finished in time to bargain salary rates in 2011 and an extra year of recall rights
for laid-off workers. Many more agency specific improvements were won. Details are
on the State/University page at www.seiu503.org.
step in their July and August paychecks.
10th Step
We protected the new 10th step, although it will not take effect until after the one-year
step freeze. This means that all bargaining unit members will get one step at some point
during the life of the contract.
For late developments check www.seiu503.org
August 2009