The Oregon University System scrapped language in a modified final offer to the classified staff of Oregon’s public universities early Wednesday, a day after unions representing the classified workers filed a complaint charging the language was illegal.
“We have withdrawn the re-opener clause,” OUS spokesman Bob Bruce said
Wednesday. The clause, characterized by the Oregon Public Employees Union representatives as “poison pill language,” would have empowered OUS to open negotiations about wages and health benefits if a budget shortfall occurs in the future, union representatives said.
The two sides hope to resolve issues of fair pay and improved benefits
Friday to avert a strike Sept. 24 by classified staff, which includes
custodians, food-service workers and clerks at each of the seven schools in the OUS.
But despite this latest development in 5 months of tense contract
negotiations between the OUS and the unions, both sides are readying their ranks for a strike.
The OPEU and the Service Employees International Union Local 503 represent 3,700 classified workers at Oregon’s public universities, including 1,230 at the University of Oregon.
Some classified workers pitched a table to sell baked goods at the south end of the University Bookstore on Wednesday to raise money for a strike fund. Wearing purple T-shirts bearing the gold Service Employees Union Local 503 logo, the classified workers sold organic brownies smothered in fudge and fresh loaves of zucchini bread.
“I’m a single wage earner with two sons,” said Denise Blacketer, program coordinator for architecture and allied arts. “We’ll get the support of family members if necessary, and I’ll work with a creditor on different terms for paying bills.
“A lot of these people (buying baked goods) support us and know our issues,” Blacketer continued. “It’s been very gratifying.”
The OUS also is preparing to mitigate the impact of a possible strike.
“Our campuses are prepared for that possibility,” Bruce said. “…we will reassign responsibilities to supervisors and managers to cover for those who do not show up to work. We recognize a strike would cause some delays in the delivery of services, but our mission is to make sure students aren’t inconvenienced.”
The chair of the OPEU bargaining team said he was relieved to hear the
re-opener language had been removed, but was hesitant to accept early
reports as fact.
“I haven’t seen anything in writing,” said Bart Lewis, who also serves as a program assistant for student billing at the University. “But I have heard what (Bob Bruce) is saying. It’s really encouraging that he’s saying that. We wanted a contract without some kind of escape clause.”
The unions filed the complaint Wednesday with the Oregon Employee Relations Board (ERB), a Salem-based organization that resolves labor disputes. David Stiteler, ERB chairman, confirmed that a complaint had been filed by the unions and said that unless the complaint is withdrawn, it will be assigned to a judge or the ERB for a ruling.
“If we find the complaint to be well founded, we will issue a remedy, which could mean possible sanctions, including a cease-and-desist order,” he said. Union representative Lewis said the classified workers and OUS have some compromises to make on issues such as increased wages and expanded health benefits for part-time workers.
“When we go back Friday, we’re going to try and get some movement from them on those issues,” he said. “We’ve got to wrap those things up.”