Published: April 29, 2019

On Wednesday, April 24, our elected Specials Coalition bargaining team had a productive meeting with management. Details are below. But before we jump in, we want to highlight our Union’s rally on May 20 in Salem. This is a critical moment in our bargaining campaign, and we are encouraging everyone who is able to register, show up, and send a message: It’s time to fund public services and the people who provide them! Register here.

April 24 Specials Coalition bargaining update

The highlight from April 24’s meeting is that we reached an agreement with management to make stewards at the Department of Nursing permanent. The stewards at Nursing have been covered by a Letter of Agreement (LOA) but not formalized into the contract. We’re changing that so the steward system there is now more secure and members will have more stable representation moving forward. Great job team!

The other issue to highlight is labor-management at the Department of Education. We have proposed a new Labor Management Committee (LMC), and this month management countered with a proposal that gives them the ability to delay our progress, which is what they have been doing and the reason we need stronger language. We fired back with a strong proposal and will hear management’s response at the next meeting.

Will you get involved?

Our Union is only as strong as our membership. When we stick together, we bargain from a position of strength and that is how we move the needle forward. Here are two ways you can help:

  • Join us on May 20 for the United for A Better Oregon rally in Salem. The purpose of this rally is to show leadership in Oregon that our entire Union is united behind a single goal of funding public services and winning strong contracts for the people who provide them.
  • Come to the next bargaining session. Our Next bargaining session will be held on Wednesday May 8th starting at 5:30 pm. The bargaining sessions are held at our SEIU Salem HQ building located at 1730 Commercial ST SE Salem OR 97302.

If you plan on joining us for a bargaining session, please let us know.