Central Table Update 7/9/09

There were positive developments on two fronts this week — at the bargaining table and in the halls of state government.

On the heels of worksite actions involving SEIU members around the state last Tuesday and hundreds of calls to the Governor, we are continuing to make some modest headway in bargaining.

We have reached a tentative agreement on the framework of how furlough days will be implemented. We won contract language that requires furlough time to be counted as time worked for the purposes of accruals and insurance benefits, for it to be pro-rated for part-time and seasonal workers and for the day after Thanksgiving to be an office closure day for those agencies that implement the furlough process by closing entire offices.

In part because the law does not require management to bargain over scheduling, we did not prevail on our proposal that workers have a voice in whether furloughs are scheduled through office closures or on a floating basis; instead, management will make that choice. Most, though not all, programs and agencies will use the office closure system. And despite eloquent pleas by bargaining team members, management rejected our proposal that they reconsider whether furloughs make sense for programs not funded by the General Fund, since furloughs in those programs do not save any money for the State.

The biggest issues around furloughs — how many and whether the very lowest paid workers (those who earn less than $30,000 a year) have fewer furlough days than the rest of state workers — remain unresolved. Crucially, the question of protecting our steps also remains unresolved. And that is why the latest development away from bargaining is very important.

In response to remarks in the press from the Governor's office last week, the two chief legislative leaders have written a letter to the Governor and union leaders affirming the intent of a legislative budget note stating that savings from changes to state employee compensation do not need to total more than $65 million. That's what's needed to balance the legislatively approved budget. The letter, from Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Dave Hunt, is available for download here.

The budget note, now clarified by the leaders, provides a road map to a fair settlement. The State's latest proposal would cut workers' pay by almost twice the amount specified by the legislature, while our current proposal would save about $35 million. We have said that if the Governor accepts the $65 million number of the budget we will do so as well, even though that would require significant sacrifice from all state workers. If the Governor accepts the legislature's numbers, that would leave only the details to be ironed out.

Our bargaining team returns to negotiations next Monday and Tuesday. We have told the state that we expect a full proposal that addresses our steps and the amount of furlough days. We must build on the momentum created with our United for Oregon March and our June 30th rallies and phone calls.

Next Tuesday July 14 we are organizing unity breaks and other job actions across the state. Be there! Do that! Please take part and show your support for a fair contract!

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