Central Table: June 26-28

Central Table: June 26-28

Tim Nesbitt, deputy chief of staff for Governor Kulongoski

At the Salem rally, our Bargaining Team presented petitions signed by nearly 7000 members to the Governor's Deputy Chief of Staff (and former SEIU Assistant Executive Director) Tim Nesbitt.
Management made only minor changes in their proposal in bargaining on June 26 and 28. They failed to deliver on their promise of a new offer on wages and health benefits.
However, three developments give the bargaining team a great deal of hope:

1. Actions throughout the state on June 28 showed our members' unity and put pressure on management at all levels to weigh in on behalf of our need for a fair contract.

In many work sites, members stood up at 10:00 am, in unison. In Salem, nearly 500 members marched through the Revenue and Transportation buildings and rallied across from the Capitol.

We think this is a good sign, since we have been breathtakingly clear that a mid-July settlement is ONLY possible if management improves their offer significantly, particularly (but not exclusively) in the areas of COLAs and healthcare.

2. The Governor's office has expressed optimism that we can settle the contract by mid-July.

3. The legislature approved a budget which adds the word "proportionately" to the statute governing the Salary and Benefit Reserve.

That means that the $125 million in the salary and benefit reserve cannot be spent in a manner that gives bigger raises to management than to front-line staff.

While we remain concerned that $125 million is less than we need (and will require the State to turn to other sources beyond the Salary and Benefit Reserve to fund a fair contract), we are very pleased with the addition of the word "proportionately."

Bargaining Continues
We bargain July 3 and 5. We expect a new proposal from management on core economics. And we will be revisiting the dozens of selective salary increases management has summarily rejected so far.

We will address — again — management's proposal to move many custodians from Salary Range 10 to Salary Range 7, which we consider mean-spirited and completely unacceptable.

Our actions are the reason the State moved from 1% to 2%. Keep up the pressure to move them further!