University Workers OK Pact

93% of Members Say Yes to Ratification

An overwhelming 93% of those members voting by mail have ratified a new two-year agreement covering 4,000 classified workers in the Oregon University System represented by SEIU LOCAL 503.

The agreement, finalized on the Friday of Labor Day weekend after eight grueling months of negotiations, had been unanimously recommend by the bargaining committee and an assembly of elected bargaining delegates.

"It is not perfect," the team said in its message to members. "That was never in the cards this time around given the economy. But in the face of management's original demands for unlimited furlough days, a pay cut, and a full two-year step freeze, we have won an agreement that meets our basic goal of fairness."

"And while our deal with the Chancellor does not mirror the DAS settlement in every last detail, it is substantially equivalent to the agreement that DAS workers reached with the Governor six weeks ago."

Here are the basic terms:
1. We protected fully paid health care premiums for full-time employees and froze premiums for the part-time plan. We are now one of only two states in the country where full time state employees don't pay for part of their health care premiums.

2. Instead of management's plan for a two-year step freeze, we won back steps in the second year of the contract. Members who get steps in July, August, or September 2009 will have those steps rolled back on October 1, 2009, but those steps will be restored on 10/1/10, when the step freeze will end and regular step increments will resume.

3. We forced management to withdraw proposals for unlimited furloughs and an across-the-board pay cut!
4. Furlough days will be scheduled as follows: Monthly pay of $2,450 or below: 8 days Monthly pay $2,451 to $3,105: 12 days Monthly pay $3,106 to $5,733: 14 days Monthly pay $5,734 or higher: 16 days

"These tiers are similar but not identical to those in the DAS contract. We tried hard to get rid of the fourth tier, but in this area, we could not move the management bargainers. However, we note that because the threshold for the top tier is quite high, these tiers actually result in a lower average number of furlough days than the DAS contract requires."

"Beyond a doubt, members' unity and activism has gotten us this far. From the outset, the OUS negotiators made it clear that they would try to use the current budget squeeze as an excuse to separate us from other state workers - now and in the future. But you said 'NO!' No to a pay cut. No to unlimited furloughs. No to a two-year step freeze."

"You turned out in force on every campus on bargaining days there. You phoned and wrote the Chancellor. You engaged campus presidents. You came to rallies, appealed to legislators and sent letters to editors. And in the end you signed strike pledge cards in such numbers that the OUS administration decided to cut a deal."

More information on furlough implementation and selectives/classifications updates.

More recent news about State/University bargaining