OHSU and AFSCME meet in the second of two back-to-back, all-day mediation sessions

Thursday was the second of two back-to-back, all-day mediated sessions, where both teams agreed to meet and delve deeper into open issues as they work toward an agreement. They worked on responses and packages, exchanging several proposals for consideration, including the OHSU team’s new economic package proposal and AFSCME’s time-off package; details about both are below.

Additionally, the teams reached the following tentative agreements during the back-to-back sessions:

10.8 Inclement weather
10.UX.5 Float pool
14.1.1 Jury service
23.4 Pre-discharge notice

Of note during these back-to-back sessions was the work on supporting employees experiencing hardship due to child care. Wednesday, the OHSU team proposed a child care package that rejected MOU UX13 about child care reimbursement, and instead offered to establish and pay $50,000 each year toward a hardship fund focused on child care instability. On Thursday, the AFSCME team countered OHSU’s package by asking to increase the hardship funds earmarked for child care to $100,000 a year. OHSU accepted this counterproposal, and the teams tentatively agreed on this package. OHSU is proud to partner with AFSCME on this new element of the hardship fund, which we hope will help working families during this challenging time.

OHSU COUNTER-PROPOSALS:

Even as the institution faces an unprecedented financial challenge, it is essential to demonstrate how valued our employees are to OHSU. This is why the OHSU team is proposing a new economic package raising the minimum wage to $18 per hour after across-the-board wages for all AFSCME-represented employees. Additionally, OHSU is proposing that union members receive a recognition bonus of $1,000 for those with 0.5-1.0 FTE and $500 for those with 0-0.49 FTE. And, the OHSU team agreed with AFSCME’s proposal increasing the minimum rate for evening shift differential to $1.50/hour and night differential to $3/hour. It is the hope that elevating the minimum wage and shift differential, and providing a bonus for all represented employees, will help address the immediate needs of union members.

The OHSU team also submitted the following for consideration:

A call package that addresses call back, making clear that an employee not on call who is released may refuse a request to return to work, and allows for a process to notify the union if an on-call employee has been on site for 24 hours.
A remote work proposal, which eliminated previously proposed language allowing OHSU to require remote employees to return to a physical site with 28 days’ notice.

AFSCME COUNTER-PROPOSALS:

The AFSCME team submitted a package related to time-off that included:

11.2 and 11.2.1 regarding holiday pay: The team agreed to the current language proposed by the OHSU team related to holiday compensation.
12.1 Accrual of vacation time: The AFSCME team is proposing increased vacation time.
12.4.3 Submission and granting of vacation and holiday time off: The AFSCME team accepted OHSU’s language clarifying requests in the first round of vacation requests.
13.1 Accrual of sick time: The AFSCME team adjusted their proposed annual sick leave from 140 to 136 hours.
14.1.9: Mental health leave: The team withdrew their proposal as part of the package.
14.2.4 Bereavement leave: The team adjusted their proposed paid bereavement leave from 40 to 36 hours.
14.2.5 Denial of bereavement leave: There were no changes to the compromise language reached in a prior session.

NEXT MEETING DATE:

The teams next meet Tuesday, Aug. 2.