NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Saturday, September 21, 2019
EOU, student services workers prepare for strike
By DICK MASON
EO Media Group
LA GRANDE — The
specter of a strike by the clas-
sified staff at Oregon’s seven
public universities, including
Eastern Oregon University, is
looming larger.
The employees voted late
Tuesday to authorize a strike
if their union, SEIU 503, and
the state’s public universities
can’t reach an agreement on
a new contract by next Mon-
day, according to The Asso-
ciated Press.
Classified staff are student
services employees, such
as custodians, carpenters,
plumbers, office specialists,
information technology spe-
cialists and heating, air con-
ditioning and ventilation sys-
tem specialists.
These employees of the
state’s seven public universi-
ties would officially start the
strike Sept. 30, according to
an announcement from SEIU
503, which represents 4,500
public university employees,
among them about 130 who
work at EOU.
Jo Hickerson, president
of EOU’s SEIU 503 chapter,
was optimistic earlier this
summer that a strike could be
averted and remains so now.
“I’m still hopeful that a
settlement can be reached
before there is a strike,” Hick-
erson said Wednesday.
EO Media Group Photo/Dick Mason
As thousands of classified employees at Oregon’s public universities, including La Grande’s
Eastern Oregon University, prepare to strike, college administrators are making contingency
plans in case a strike happens at the same time classes start.
She said university work-
ers would prefer not to strike.
“It is not something we
want to do. It is something
we have to do (if an offer they
feel is not fair is put on the
table),” Hickerson said. “We
feel we have no choice.”
Hickerson said the big-
gest issue in the bargain-
ing concerns cost-of-liv-
ing wage increases. She
said what the state is offer-
ing would be less than the
expected inflation rate.
“Anything less than (a
raise of) 3% is taking away
the buying power of employ-
ees,” Hickerson said.
A Sept. 23 bargaining ses-
sion, set to take place at Port-
land State University, may
the last one prior to a strike,
but Hickerson said the SEIU
bargaining team is willing to
participate in future bargain-
ing sessions.
“We are not walking away
from the table,” she said. “We
will meet on any date if there
is a conversation to be had.”
Tim Seydel, Eastern’s
vice president for university
advancement, said EOU offi-
cials are hoping for the best
but also preparing for a strike.
He said that should there be
a strike, EOU will continue
holding classes and provid-
ing all of the same services it
does now for students, keep-
ing its offices open and hold-
ing all scheduled on-campus
events.
He said EOU wants the
best for its classified staff,
whom he describes as “very
valued employees.”
According to an SEIU
news release, 95% of the
state’s 4,500 student services
workers at public universi-
ties voted to strike Sept. 30
if a settlement is not reached.
Hickerson said that at EOU,
where fall term classes begin
Sept. 25, at least 90% of the
university’s student services
employees voted for the
strike date.
Should there be a strike,
workers will be assisted by
a union hardship fund that
would provide employees
with up to $400 a week, said
Jay Parasco, a spokesman for
SEIU 503.
EOU President Tom
Insko, in an email sent to all
Eastern employees Wednes-
day afternoon, said he has a
feeling of optimism.
“As we open the new aca-
demic year, and despite ongo-
ing conversations around a
possible strike, we continue
to be optimistic an agreement
that supports EOU employees
and students can be reached.
Our classified employees are
an integral part of the univer-
sity and their contributions
toward our shared success
are valued and appreciated,’’
Insko said.
He noted that the state’s
universities have boosted
their offer to student services
BRIEFLY
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Man suspected of theft
critically hurt outside
Home Depot
Partly sunny;
pleasant
A touch of
afternoon rain
Sun and some
clouds
Some sun; breezy
in the p.m.
A blend of sun and
clouds
76° 48°
73° 51°
PORTLAND — Police say a Home
Depot customer and a man suspected of
theft near a Northeast Portland store got
into an altercation that left the suspect
critically injured.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported
a security guard was on a bike trail con-
fronting a suspect Thursday when a com-
munity member got into a confronta-
tion with the suspect and “weapons were
produced.”
Police say the suspect’s injuries are
believed to be from gunshots. He was
taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Police said the community member, a
man, was cooperating with investigators.
Around 3:15 p.m. he was still at the scene,
and appeared to have minor injuries.
Police haven’t said who fired a weapon.
An investigation is ongoing.
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
72° 52°
70° 47°
75° 46°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
80° 51°
76° 53°
76° 56°
74° 50°
79° 50°
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
67/58
70/49
77/48
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
76/56
Lewiston
70/56
79/53
Astoria
68/55
Pullman
Yakima 77/50
69/54
76/51
Portland
Hermiston
72/58
The Dalles 80/51
Salem
Corvallis
73/54
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
72/46
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
75/55
72/48
71/47
Ontario
73/44
Caldwell
Burns
72°
57°
77°
47°
93° (1967) 30° (1983)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
74/55
0.04"
0.15"
0.26"
4.76"
5.15"
6.38"
Today
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
78/55
Family of woman killed
dashing across road settles
for $305K
WINDS (in mph)
70/45
67/35
0.03"
1.06"
0.32"
10.80"
6.52"
8.70"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 68/42
74/56
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
76/48
77/54
66°
53°
76°
48°
92° (1917) 31° (1912)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
70/54
Aberdeen
69/48
75/53
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
70/58
workers in recent bargaining
sessions.
“This new proposal is
intended to recognize the
meaningful value our clas-
sified staff contribute to this
institution,” Insko said.
The public universities
are offering cost-of-living
increases that would total 4%
over two years, plus incre-
mental wage step increases
that total 9.5% over two
years, said Di Saunders, a
spokesperson for the public
universities.
She
explained
that
increases are provided to
classified employees each
year for satisfactory or better
job performance. More than
70% of the university’s clas-
sified staff qualify for annual
step increases. These are
employees who are not at the
top of their wage scale, which
takes 10 years to reach.
Saunders said those
who have “topped out” and
no longer qualify for step
increases have been offered
a one-time $750 bonus by the
state under proposed terms of
the contract.
According to the SEIU
news release, the union is
seeking a 6.25% cost-of-liv-
ing increase spread over two
years and a modified wage
scale. The union is asking for
the lowest step of the wage
scale to be removed and a
new top step added.
Sun.
WSW 6-12
WSW 4-8
PORTLAND — The family of a
31-year-old woman who died after she
tried to run across U.S. 26 at night has
agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit
in exchange for $305,000 from the two
drivers who struck her.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports
the family of Savannah Munden was
scheduled to go to trial this week against
the first driver, who was drunk when he
hit Munden on an on-ramp near down-
town Portland. Police say Brent McCune
had a blood alcohol level of 0.22% over
two hours after his car struck Munden
Aug. 8, 2016.
The legal limit for driving is 0.08%.
McCune was sentenced to 30 days in
jail for driving under the influence of
intoxicants and hit-and-run driving.
He wasn’t prosecuted for causing Mun-
den’s death because prosecutors couldn’t
determine whether a sober driver would
have been able to avoid hitting Munden.
It also was unclear if McCune or the sec-
ond driver caused her death.
The second driver, Salvador Santillan
Gomez, stopped, stayed at the scene and
wasn’t charged with any crimes.
McCune and his insurance com-
pany agreed to pay $255,000. Although
Gomez wasn’t listed as a defendant in the
lawsuit, Gomez’s insurer agreed to pay
$50,000.
— Associated Press
WSW 6-12
W 6-12
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
69/41
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Last
6:40 a.m.
6:55 p.m.
11:16 p.m.
2:10 p.m.
New
First
Full
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 102° in Cotulla, Texas Low 19° in Bodie State Park, Calif.
Sep 21
Sep 28
Oct 5
Oct 13
We Hear You!
You deserve total audiological care.
Professional. Experienced. Local.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Renata Anderson, MA
Pam Wagenaar,
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