Bargaining Conference 7/28

Folks, July 28th is the next Bargaining Conference. Note this is a bargaining Conference not a bargaining Session; I have been forwarding notes to you from our sessions, where we meet with the management bargaining team. This conference is a chance for our leadership to let us know how bargaining is going and what happens next. You will see that it is Saturday at Willamette University, in Salem.

ODOT Local 730 is not attempting to have a statewide meeting of our members. It is requested that all of our Bargaining Delegates attend, and it would be good to have as many of you as possible who have been involved in the bargaining process come also. This includes all of you who made & supported presentations, provided testimony, passed petitions, marched on the Capitol mall, met with the Director and it certainly includes you diehard members who sat through many of the bargaining sessions just to lend support to our bargaining delegates. Thank you.

The reasons for asking folks to come are simple: 1) You will hear what is going on from the horses mouth: the bargaining delegates. You can carry the word back to your members in your area. There will be lots of handouts to help you. 2) The local continues to need people who will learn, and carry the process forward in future bargaining cycles. You learn much, it can be exhausting, it is satisfying.

I'm not just talking about bargaining delegates and officers. Many of you who have become involved in this last six months can now see the value of bargaining surveys, presentations and gathering input and information from our rank and file. This is the real work of bargaining. Not carrying a title.

The Central Table (wages and benefits) is still meeting twice a week; progress is being made, but it is slow. We need to continue to let our managers know what our expectations are. The DAS bargainging team has said they are responding to the direction our managers give them.

OUS (university system) is still bargaining. Of the other coalitions (DHS, Institutions, etc.) the ODOT Coalition is the last coalition still bargaining. We have the articles relating to travel and uniform & tool allowance to finish(33, 36, & 122). I will forward Monday's ODOT coalition bargaining session notes.

We may (We hope to) have finished all the bargaining by the 28th. In this case it will be a capture of what has changed. If the State has not moved on wages and insurance by then, the meeting will be somewhat different. We will be talking about next steps, actions and real intense pressure on DAS, the Agency and the Governor.

The registration information is in these flyers. Please give serious consideration to attending. Local 730 continues to believe our families should travel with us to these events.

Our Local and the Coalition has had many achievments this last year. Look around at yourselves and the work that you have done. Our members, who are the union, did this work. The 503 staff has put in hours and hours and hours for us. I am thankful for you the membership, willing to work for what you consider important, and our staff. Thank you. mac

Cameron M. McGinnis

ODOT Local, President