Central Table update 4/22/09

At DAS bargaining this week, we spent most of our time discussing the issue of furlough days.  We re-affirmed our willingness to accept some mandatory unpaid time off, but we laid out seven principles that we think are key to reaching an agreement on this subject.

The number of furlough days proposed by the State is unacceptably high.  They have proposed 26 (though they admit that two of those days cannot be implemented, since they fall within the current biennium).  We have proposed the equivalent of eight days (64 hours) over two years.

Furlough days should not fall on holidays.  Getting paid for holidays is a core union principle, fought for by working people over many decades.  It is not acceptable to be punished for spending Christmas or Thanksgiving with your family by getting a short check.

Managers must take as much unpaid time off as represented workers.  We are prepared to shoulder our share of sacrifice˜but only if management does its part as well.

Workers must have a voice in determining whether furloughs are implemented through office closures or by allowing workers to schedule their own unpaid time off.  Since agencies are not cut with cookie-cutters, we think that these decisions should be made by labor-management committees in each agency.  What works best at the State Hospital might be different from what works at the State Library!

Mandatory unpaid time off should be structured in hours rather than days, since that will provide more flexibility.

Any furlough program must include provisions to provide relief for our lowest-paid members, for whom mandatory unpaid time off imposes a special hardship.

Management must not use temporary, limited duration, or contract employees to do work that accumulates as a result of their furlough plan.

Management had no substantive response to our proposal, though they did say they were working on some new „concepts‰ related to furloughs and that they expect to have a modified proposal for us when we meet again in May.  With unemployment in Oregon at 12.1% (second highest in the nation) and the state budget in complete crisis, we clearly have our work cut out for us.

Away from the bargaining table, this week the PEBB Board followed up on its decision to move to self-insured medical coverage with a decision to shift the administration of the current Regence plan to Providence Health Plan, effective 1/1/10.  This decision, from which SEIU's two representatives to the PEBB Board dissented, was based on a desire to slow cost increases and the sense of the Board's majority that Providence is more aligned with the goals of the PEBB vision.  Under Providence, the plan design will completely mirror the Regence plan design.  We are very pleased that we succeeded in avoiding all of the proposals under discussion that would have cut benefits or altered plan design.  SEIU representatives raised concerns that the change to Providence might cause disruption for people whose current providers are not part of the Providence network, but the Board majority was persuaded by analysis showing that fewer than 4% of people covered by PEBB would see any provider disruption and by Providence's commitments to develop continuation of care arrangements for affected individuals under active care.  SEIU will continue to work to protect state employees‚ health insurance and to work for health care reform that makes health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.  We will also continue to support the ongoing efforts of Providence employees to organize their own union.

Meanwhile, the most important work ahead of us is the Ways and Means Committee Budget Hearings, at which we have an opportunity to educate legislators on the State's budget-writing committee about how their proposed cuts would devastate our communities.  Proposed cuts would include layoffs of up to 6000-7000 DAS and OUS employees, as well as deep cuts in important programs like child support enforcement, youth corrections, higher education, home care, and employment related daycare.  Dates and times of upcoming budget hearings are here.

Please flag the date of April 27 for worksite actions!  We'll be doing unity breaks, purple-up days, and other activities to communicate our anger about the State's behavior in bargaining to all of our supervisors, and in particular, to Scott Harra, Director of DAS, who oversees the State's negotiating team. In addition, May 14 will be an important action day, and please hold the date of June 7, for a statewide rally in Portland. Details to follow!