Central Table Update 6/24/09
We Have the Momentum. Now We have to Build on It!
Join Your Workplace Action June 30th and Call the Governor!
In the two weeks since our United for Oregon March we have made significant progress on key issues in bargaining.
First the State felt compelled to withdraw its proposal to unilaterally cut the pay of workers in programs where management did not want to impose furloughs. Then we scored a victory when the State agreed to our proposal to extend recall rights for laid off workers from two years to three, offering workers who have been or will be laid off a greater likelihood of being able to return to their jobs.
This week that momentum continued. In bargaining Monday and Tuesday, the state agreed to a binding timetable for a classification study for workers in 35 clerical and health-related classifications.
This long-sought study will cover these clerical titles: Office Assistant 1 and 2, Office Specialist 1 and 2, Administrative Specialist 1 and 2, Executive Support Specialist 1 and 2, Public Service Representative 1 through 4, Date Entry Operators Word Processing Technician 1 through 3, Office Coordinator, Executive Assistant, Data Entry Control Technicians, Student Office Worker, and Legal Secretary.
Health-related titles covered are Clinical Psychologist 1 and 2, Habilitative Training Technician 1 through 3, Mental Health Security Technician, Mental Health Specialist, Mental Health Therapist 1 and 2, Mental Health Therapy Coordinator and Shift Coordinator, Mental Health Therapy Technician, Psychiatric Social Worker, and Transporting Mental Health Aide.
For months now we have been working on two fronts to win a fair contract: in the legislature to maximize revenue and minimize cuts, and in our worksites to persuade the Governor.
The legislative front is wrapping up. We've had remarkable victories. In the face of a historic $4 billion state budget shortfall we staved off most proposed cuts in jobs and services thanks in large part to the efforts of hundreds of SEIU members who lobbied legislators alongside allies from such groups as the OR-PTA, AARP and the Human Services Coalition, sharing our stories about the important services we provide to our communities.
We were also able to bring greater fairness into our tax system and much needed new revenue when the legislature voted to increase income taxes on profitable corporations, at long last raise the $10 corporate minimum, and add a new top tax bracket for the wealthiest Oregonians.
We did suffer one significant loss in recent days when we could not quite muster a two-thirds majority to delay implementation of aspects of Measure 57, thanks to the influence of the state's district attorneys—whose shortsighted attitude is likely to actually make Oregon more dangerous and susceptible to crime, not less. As of today, we have not been able to pass a bill that would secure funding to prevent the closure of the Oregon Youth Authority facility in Burns, downsize the one in Hillcrest and dramatically reduce funding for the OYA Gang Intervention programs. We will continue to look for opportunities to secure funding but with the close of the legislature nearing, options are shrinking quickly.
But overall, we have protected thousands of jobs, preserved most essential services and set the stage for our fight to minimize furloughs and protect our steps. Now, working in close cooperation with AFSCME and other unions as well as community allies, we need to take the momentum we've built with member activism to another level to persuade the State to minimize the number of furlough days and protect our steps.
When we join together and take action we can significantly impact the decisions that are being made in the Capitol and in the Governor's office.
That is why it is so important that you take part in the day of action in your worksite, next Tuesday, June 30th.
Workers across the state are planning to deliver this message to their managers and Governor Kulongoski:
"Oregon needs us and we need a fair contract. We have been willing to step up and be a part of the solution from the start of negotiations, but we expect equity: a fair contract that protects step increases and calls for no more furlough days than are actually necessary."
You can help deliver this message in two important ways: by joining the action in your workplace and calling the Governor on June 30th at 503.378.4582.