Wheres the new Contract?

So, if you don't already know, the contract has been ratified and there should be a final draft available by the end of September.  Contact your Shop Steward or nearest SEIU Organizer to get your worksite a copy.  I will be posting it electronically on the blog as soon as its available. 

The new differential for Pesticide applicators is $1.25/ per hour.  In the past we just use the standard shift diff coding but I assume payroll will have different solution since it has gone up by $0.75.

There should also be new boot forms, as the language has changed slightly to now include felt bottom shoes.  Talk to your OC for guidance.  If you need additional assistance contact your Local 733 Leadership.

Thanks to all who signed the Pledge to strike vote.  This tactic really brought swift movement to our contract negotiations this time around. 

Coalition Bargaining Update

At approximately 12:30am  June 18^th your Parks Local 733 delegates agreed with other ODOT coalition delegates to approve of the final tentative agreements discussed in this contract’s bargaining session.  Although we and other locals won some small victories, we did not however reach a compromise in article 66.3 in regards to allowing our seasonals to carry over up to 40 hours of vacation into the next season.   The response from management is that seasonals are hired each year to work and not take vacations.  Even when we discussed scenarios about seasonals with over 10 years of service and not able to spend a few days with their families on a holiday weekend, management refused to budge.   At the bitter end, we even offered compromises that would only allow seasonals with 6-9 month long positions to qualify for the carry over, yet still they refused any offers. 

Your Parks delegates were outraged that our agency refuses to grant such a simple request out of respect for our Park Ranger Assistants who have shown their loyalty over the years by returning each summer to make sure the restrooms are clean, our visitors are safe and having a memorable experience, and giving a needed hand to our Park Rangers! 

If you are as disappointed as we are, then I urge you to make contact with your shop steward or your Local 733 officers and get involved.  If this is an important topic or you have other issues that need to be addressed, then this is a great opportunity to start building up support for the next contract negotiation.

In the meantime, the battle is not over.  We are still fighting for Healthcare, COLA’s, and retirement at central table.  We will keep you posted as we receive updates.   

April Bargaining Update

Coalition Table

 In the last sessions, office coordinator reclassification was discussed including a sidebar with Parks and management for detailed talks on a draft Classification that includes all the duties our OCs do along with a newly proposed wage.   Thanks to all the Parks OCs who attended the session where Barb did her presentation on the reclass.  More to come on this topic

Other Parks specific proposals included a presentation on a Boot Reimbursement language upgrade to include other types of boots and our proposal for 66.3 to expand the seasonal definition to allow Parks seasonals to carry up to 40 hours of vacation into the next season.   We received immediate responses for both proposals from management giving us a good idea we may have a long fight ahead of us.

This upcoming session will be next Tuesday April 16^th at the OPRD Headquarter.   We will be presenting our differential proposals, included our Parks Shift Lead Differential.   Hopefully we can finish up all our proposal presentations by next session so we can start getting counters and responses from management (when the work really begins).

Central Table

 Our people on central table have been discussing many concepts proposed by both parties but so far management is not considering anymore furloughs or step freezes in the next contract.  However, no other economics will be discussed until May after the State’s budget plan has been ratified.  

An interesting example of a concept proposed by management  is to increase Trial Service to 1 full year.  They’re supporting argument is because of the lack of managers (after the 11:1 manager/employee ratio was implemented) they have to extend the time allowed so they can have enough time to evaluate whether or not those employees will be moved into regular status.  Really?

Bargaining Begins

Your Parks Local bargaining team just completed they're 2nd session which coincides with the last possible day that we had to hand our proposals to management.  Thanks to all you completed and turned in they're Bargaining Surveys. Your ideas helped formulate our fight for this contract.  Here are the proposals that we will be fighting for in the coming months.

Article 122.3 AB - improve boot language by removing section 3 and using section 1, striking out "odd year language" and using "appropriate footware" instead of ANSI references

Article 66.3 Section 1 a)- striking out most of the first paragraph to allow our seasonals to crarry over up to 40 hours of Vacation into next successive season if they choose

Office Coordinator Classification Study.....thats right!  Maybe DAS will give our OC's what they deserve!

Article 26 section 12 - Basically we are going for a 5% diff. for all our Park Rangers assigned shift lead duties.  the language mirrors Section 8 language. 

Park Hosts/Volunteer Language -  We all love them.  We couldn't do it without them.  Some of these folks I would consider my friends but...we need to make sure that volunteers are not being used to replace potential park positions and/or park ranger roles.  Sounds extreme?  Go visit a Forest service park sometime and count how many Forest service employees you can find. 

Vacation Leave LOA moved into 66.3 - this is the LOA that allows Rangers to have up to a week of vacation in any given season.  

As for a Central Table update, no economics have been discussed yet.  Stay tuned.

Next Coalition Session will be at 6:30pm at OPRD HQ on March  19th.  There will be an opportunity for OC's to do a presentation at this one.