The member of Local 2746 that work for private, non-profit employer Coast Rehabilitation Services, Inc. have a new one-year supplemental contract agreement, due to a wage re-opener recently negotiated by the two sides. Coast Rehab manages private MR/DD community group homes.

Council 75 Staff Representative Evan Wickersham reports economic highlights of the supplemental agreement as follows:

• A 12-cent per hour across the board raise;

• Step increases remain frozen through June 2013;

• Members will receive one additional floating holiday this contract year; and

• Coast Rehab will pay for 15 members to travel to Salem to meet with state legislators for a lobby day.

The lobby day activity will be coordinated with Oregon AFSCME political staff. State support for funding such group homes as Coast Rehab and staffing ratios are likely to be the key topics of discussion.

In addition to pure economics, Wickersham says call-in language was improved and memorialized into the contract, meaning available shifts will be offered to members with the least hours, then seniority breaks a tie.

"Management will have to leave messages with members who will have a set time to respond and accept, or forfeit the shift," said Wickersham. "This should help shifts get spread around, which is the goal."

The Local 2746 sub-local represents about 164 Coast Rehab employees. In addition to Wickersham, the bargaining team included Rosalie Hilton, Joe Pavelec, Monica Godsy and Daydre Turpen.