The Oregon AFSCME Central Table Bargaining Team met with state representatives May 17 at the Salem AFSCME office. This was the first meeting between the two sides since the Oregon Legislature received the state's May revenue forecast the day before, the document state budgets and other financial decisions are based on. Not surprisingly, that news framed much of the May 17 Central Table discussion.

 

Council 75 Executive Director Ken Allen, the union's chief negotiator, told state counterpart Craig Cowan that now is the time for the two sides to strike a deal.

 

"We should strike while the iron is hot," Allen told Cowan. "The state's financial forecast is good.  Now it's time for the state to get serious on economics. It's all about how much the state has for steps and COLAS, and how much state workers are behind in the market."

 

Allen noted in addition to the revenue forecast, PEBB has announced no rate increase for next year's state employee insurance and PERS employer rates were recently announced to only be going up 0.7 percent, not 5.5 percent as previously expected.

 

Allen said the union doesn't want to see Oregon's economy going well and state workers still suffering.

 

"We're tired of being the lowest priority," said Allen. "And when I say 'we,' that's inclusive of all state workers. No one has done well in the last five years. Your managers are telling me this too. Shame on the Legislature if they think they can ignore this. Our other public employers are not stupid — they will look for workers from the state."

 

Also:

 

• Oregon AFSCME Research Coordinator Rob Glase made a presentation on salary selectives, focused on the state's Admin and ISS series. 

 

• Allen noted that with all of the noise regarding PERS, some AFSCME members are rushing to retirement. Others, he said, will look to switch to local government jobs, keeping their PERS status but earning better wages than what they are currently earning with the state.

 

The next Central Table session is scheduled for May 30. The state is scheduled to bring an economic proposal to that session, one that should include PERS, insurance, salary steps and possibly COLAs.