Travel Victory

After months of battling for a fair travel policy for workers in the ODOT Coalition, we finally struck a deal today and reached tentative agreement on Contract Articles 33.3A and 36.3AC. We did not get everything we wanted but we made unprecedented improvements to the policy. In Article 33.3A we got the meal rate increased from eight dollars to twelve dollars for highway folks who work two hours past their shifts. In Article 36.3AC (Forestry) forestry workers get to a fire and are not provided lodging will now get the standard twenty-five dollar rate. Another major change was the per diem amount: ODOT maintenance workers will go from receiving forty-seven dollars a day to sixty-four dollars per day with a provision that if the DAS rates increase then the sixty-four dollar rate dollars will increase proportionately. Another improvement gives DMV workers who do not currently get paid for their driving time if they go to an office within fifteen miles payment for that time. This victory would not have been possible without the tenacity and expertise of Mike Johnson from ODOT financial services, as well as the help of Cory McIntosh, Kermit Meling and the rest of the bargaining team. Members such as John Larson from Milwaukie striping and Angie Watkins, and Russ Noyes from East Portland bridge crew brought in compelling stories that were also instrumental in earning this victory. Thank you to everyone for your hard work!
(I will post more details later)