January 2007 is a great time for a fresh start and a great time for a fresh look at the kind of state Oregon can be. Every Oregonian has a right to demand quality public services, the opportunity for a living wage job and access to quality, affordable health care. SEIU Local 503, OPEU members are committed to working to turn those goals into reality.

     In this issue of President Joe's Journal, members get ready for the next round in our fight for affordable health care for every Oregonian at the Capitol in Salem and DMV members hold the line on contract language and celebrate a workplace victory. Also, members get ready for regional strategy meetings all over Oregon. 

Oregon Can Do Better!

     Every day, more Americans lose insurance coverage or lose access to care due to high deductibles, co-pays, skyrocketing prescription drug costs and increased premiums. We've all heard real horror stories about workers who face severe economic hardship as a result of a medical emergency. In fact, a medical crisis is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States. Drug companies, hospitals and insurance companies have stood in the way of change for years. Up until now, their lobbyists have been able to block every effort to reform our health care system. Election results in 2006 signal that the desire for change is on the mind of voters everywhere.

     In Oregon, there are 117,000 kids who don't have access to health care. They may have an illness that could be treated, but without health insurance their families have no affordable options. There is absolutely no reason why those kids should remain at risk. Oregon can do better. We must do better.

     Elected leaders in the Oregon Senate are studying what it would take to provide health coverage for every child in our state. Governor Kulongoski supports the idea, along with newly elected worker-friendly legislators in the Oregon House and Senate. This is a great first step as we move toward quality, affordable healthcare for every Oregonian. Finally, the new majority of pro-worker lawmakers can begin to talk about solutions instead of just hearing excuses. This legislative session, we have an historic opportunity to put an end to the legislative death grip of health industry lobbyists in Salem.

     What can you do to help? You can join with your co-workers and participate in a lobby day in Salem. Sign up to tell your elected representatives what works for working families. Remember, legislators are elected to work for every Oregonian and that includes SEIU Local 503, OPEU members.

DMV Wins a Vacation

     Members from Driver and Motor Vehicles (DMV) celebrated a well-deserved victory in early December when an Employee Relations Board (ERB) arbitrator upheld a worker's right to use accrued vacation leave on days chosen by the worker.

     Under the contract, DMV workers have the right to choose the timing of their vacation leave, subject to "operating requirements" of the agency. Sonya Reichwein, a member in the Corvallis DMV field office, asked for two days leave last October. DMV managers denied her request, citing an agency policy where offices are grouped in a "cluster." Since another worker within the management defined "cluster" had already scheduled a vacation, managers ruled that Sonya couldn't use her vacation leave at the same time. The other worker within the "cluster" was stationed more than 30 miles away in the Dallas field office.

     Sonya and her steward argued that the DMV-defined "cluster" is an arbitrary standard and cannot be used as a basis to deny vacation requests. The contract language, agreed to by both DAS and SEIU Local 503, OPEU members, cites only operating requirements. Limiting vacations to one employee per "cluster" is an administrative convenience for DMV managers, but it is not an operating requirement.

     The arbitrator agreed and said the employer can deny a request for vacation time for only one reason: operating requirements. "Administrative convenience is not a contract standard to deny an employee's choice for vacation time." The arbitrator went on to say, "...there was no rational connection between DMV's operating requirements and the rule it applied to deny Grievant's vacation request." While the "cluster" rule can be used as a starting point in the decision-making process, DMV managers must make fact-specific determinations about operating requirements before they can deny a leave request.

     Grievant Sonya Reichwein (who serves as DMV local president and SEIU Local 503, OPEU Statewide Vice President) says, "Finally, we have a ruling that specifically states it is not okay to deny vacation days without an actual operating need. This is a big deal for members in field offices. Now, managers have been given a directive to comply with this ruling."

    Congratulations DMV members! Once again, our work doesn’t end at the bargaining table. Even when we sign a good contract, it takes determined members to make sure workers' rights are protected.

eNews Flash

   Regional Strategy Meetings: It’s time for State and Higher Ed workers to step up and get involved in the 2007-2009 DAS and OUS contract campaign. Members are getting together for regional strategy meetings all over Oregon. Find out what’s going on at the bargaining table and how you can join with co-workers to help win a good contract.