ODOT Coalition Report 1

ODOT Coalition Bargaining Report #1

On Monday, February 23rd our Union’s ODOT Coalition Bargaining Team met and opened negotiations with the State’s ODOT Coalition Team. Our Union was represented by 28 members from DMV, ODFW, ODOT, Forestry and OPRD. The Union bargaining Chairs are Kermit Meling (ODOT) and Bill Kinyoun (ODFW). The States Management bargaining teams spokesperson is Tom Perry from DAS. Thirteen other managers from the agencies also attended.

Kermit Meling kicked bargaining off with a short statement intended to frame the debate around our Union proposals. He asserted that compared to prior bargaining sessions the number of articles this time around is less and that our bargaining team had spent a lot of time paring down our proposals to concepts that our members feel most strongly about. Management seemed to appreciate the sentiment.

After the opening statements and introductions, the Union presented management with proposals from eleven articles and one letter of agreement. The improvements, if won, would include:
• improvements to ODOT steward language
• Posted list and updates for overtime lists for the coalition
• Asmall expansion of the meal allowance to machinists and auto techs in ODOT
• Additional meal allowance money for those working more than 16 hours in ODOT
• Clarified tent language for forestry employees so they would receive stipend when not in commercial lodging
• Cleans up the definition for official station for ODOT crews on per diem
• Expands DMV language to include ODOT and Forestry that when assigned away from normal work location they would be on work time unless new location is closer to employees home.
• Creates a car allowance for ODFW workers required to use their personal vehicles
• Add new language that would create a intra agency transfer list for DMV and force it to be pulled before opening competitive
• Proposes to close DMV field offices the day after Thanksgiving
• Fixes language that would allow DMV holiday language so workers wouldn’t be forced to work on actual holidays
• Allows Forestry seasonals to carry forward vacation accruals like ODFW, and also allows all seasonal employees to use their vacation in the agency in which it was accrued
• Gives employees a quicker response to vacation requests than the current fifteen days.
• Bring our ODFW employees to similar standards around scheduling that much of the rest of the coalition has. Also adds increased notice to out of town travel.
• Attempts to include some ODFW employees who currently are not paid as passengers to and from work trips.
• Adds language to training language to “promote career development” for coalition
• Puts the qualifier “no request should be arbitrarily denied” for educational and training requests in order to make the process fairer and more transparent
• Improves the current language for rotationals to make them more available and also to post them in advance so they are offered more transparently.
• Brings our Forestry Mechanics to the same tool reimbursement as our ODOT Mechanics
• Fixes the LOA on Work Capacity Testing for Forestry so employees do not pay out of pocket for exemptions

As you can see we had a lot to get through and management asked a lot of questions about the intentions behind some of the proposals. Members such as Cameron McGinnis (ODOT), Mike Johnson (ODOT), Bill Kinyoun (ODFW), Kermit Meling (ODOT), Dave Wells (Forestry), Eric Ollerenshaw (ODFW), Joe Sheahan (ODFW), Sonya Reichwein (DMV) and others helped explain the intention behind our proposals and clarified many of the finer points to Management.

We also let management know that we would have a few more articles that we planned on opening at the next negotiation session.

The Management bargaining team also brought proposals to the table. They had four articles with proposed changes and one new letter of agreement. Their proposals, if adopted would:
• Create a letter of agreement intended to fixing the holiday language for DMV employees so they would not be required to work on a holiday
• Create parallel language that is similar to the ODFW language for seasonal employees for carrying vacation accruals forward.
• Updates layoff language for Parks so Region 4 would be one geographic area.
• Changes and adds new geographic area for layoff language for Forestry to include new area for Tillamook Forest Center.
• Added new language in scheduling article for ODOT that would exempt switches from Monday-Friday and Tuesday-Saturday from protection around hours between work weeks and minimums for hours per each hundred and eight hour period.

Tom Perry, the Management spokesperson, also added that management proposing at Central Table a letter of agreement that would implement the abovementioned layoff language in the current biennium.

After asking some basic questions around the Management proposals we scheduled the next bargaining date and set the agenda for that bargaining session. The plan is to do bargaining at the same location, same time on March 9th. The Union bargaining team meets at the Salem Union Hall (1730 Commercial St SE, Salem) between 5 and 5:30 for a meal and discussion and then we drive over to the ODOT HR building (2775 19th St. SE, Salem) to start bargaining at 6:30.

The next session both sides will present any remaining proposals and we will discuss in depth our proposals above that are bolded (10.3ABE, 32.3, 33.3A, 36.3AC, 37.3E).

If you are interested in attending on March 9th please contact Troy Barnard at 503-830-1201 or barnardt@opeuseiu.org with any questions.

Coalition Bargaining

Coalition Bargaining will be on Monday, February 23rd. We will meet at the Union hall (1730 Commercial St SE, Salem Oregon) at 5 p.m. and be at the ODOT HR building by 6 p.m. If you can make it, or have questions my email is barnardt@opeuseiu.org
-Troy

Truck Monitors Coming

The agency has let us know that truck monitoring systems are coming to the ODOT Fleet. The 2009 Volvo trucks are outfitted with Volvo Link Sentry systems. These systems can uplink your truck via satellite to Volvo and the truck owner - manager. These trucks will be throughout the state from Baker City to Grants Pass; maintenance to striping.

The system is designed to track the truck mechanical systems. The hope is to see trouble before the truck breaks down. The system tracks fuel consumption, miles driven & such. The satellite will show the vehicle location.

Some folks are uncomfortable with this idea. I believe our equipment operators are professional drivers providing Quality Public Services. These professionals know we are always in the public eye. The fact that an 'eye in the sky' has been added should not matter. Jan, in the cafe, knows John is on the east end of section; there is a scanner on the window sill.

There is probably no doubt that some misunderstanding will result from these new systems. Upsets always follow new ways of doing things, new technologies. Stay on the high road.

Thank you for your labor. mac

First Coalition Bargaining Session Cancelled

Coalition Bargaining for Monday 26 January 2009 has been cancelled. Contract Negotiation (bargaining) happens on 2 fronts: The Central Table and Coalition Tables. The central table bargains for wages and benefits - things that are common for all state employees who are members of SEIU 503, OPEU. The coalition tables bargain those items that are held in common by the the coaliton members. As an example, the ODOT Coalition contains agencies that work outdoors; DMV - Transportation, Parks, Forestry, Fish & Wildlife. We bargain at the coalition table with those folks for things like boots, tools and other gear. The State Hospital, Revenue and DHS delegates bargain their working conditions in coalitions separate from ours.

Our central table delegates started meeting with management last month. Several weeks ago an idea was floated to settle this contract quickly to help provide a known cost for the state government to work with in this difficult economic period. Flyers have been sent around, with the intent of allowing all union members with express their opinions. Overwhelmingly, the polled members approved the idea of settling the contract early. The basic (very basic) idea is to:
1) retain fully paid healthcare
2) leave our contract language the same (no coalition bargaining)
3) no pay freeze
4) add the 10th step to all pay ranges, as bargained in the last round, 2 years ago
5) minimize furlough days impact.

Furlough Days are unpaid days off.
One estimate is that all public employees taking 8 unpaid days off during the next two years (the length of the contract) would save our state 35 million dollars. An organizer said 8 days in the contract, or 4 days per year is 1.5% of our pay. For a member who is topped out in Salary Range 12, 1.5% would equal 39 dollars a month.

This is alittle convoluted. members most likely will not see a 39 dollar drop in each months paycheck. Our paychecks would only be affected in the months that we used a furlough day. Vacation or 'comp-time' cannot be used on furlough days.

The central table delegates will work to influence the number of days required. They can bargain how much control we have over when we use them. I would enjoy an extra day to go hunting.

There really are not that many reasons for early settlement of our contract. However, the few reasons that are present are good ones:
a) The economy sucks and our state is way short of money.
b) Public employees always take a black eye during bargaining. We will take two black eyes in this economy.

There is lots of work to do before this is over. We may end up bargaining the whole nine yards yet; bargaining until August or September. The State Legislature is in session with lots of opportunities. mac

Are you registered?

Don't know?

Check here

The deadline in Oregon is October 14th.