This year has been difficult for most of us, and this is especially true for the thousands of Oregonians affected by these unprecedented wildfires. Many people have lost their homes or have been displaced, and our communities will be rebuilding for years to come.
Our union has come together to fight for those most affected by the fires all across Oregon. We have won a big victory in the form of a Letter of Agreement (LOA) to ensure added protections and benefits for people who have lost their home in the wildfires. These include:
- Any person who lost their home as a result of the wildfires will get two weeks of fully paid administrative leave.
- Coworkers will now have the opportunity to donate Paid Time Off (PTO) to people affected by the wildfires.
Additionally, an employee whose worksite was closed due to wildfires and has exhausted their own inclement weather leave may request donated inclement weather leave from their coworkers. These two additions will help public employees focus on what is most important.
Our union is continuing to focus on supporting people affected by these devastating wildfires, and we have even raised almost $60,000 to support those dealing with the effects of the fire. In difficult times like these, it is important for us to come together to support one another and confront the challenges ahead as a community. This is what our union is about, and we will be fighting to support public employees over the coming months and years.