Mediation Update for 10/21/2025
After last week’s economic passes, this week both teams focused on clearing out any non-economic proposals that were still on the table. Some of this was fairly low stakes language, but we also passed an updated grievance package, a remote work package, protected leave, and a process to handle any automated monitoring systems that OHSU may wish to introduce in the future.
While this language doesn’t have the immediate impact that wages and time off do, these are things that could have an enormous impact on our members in the future. No one expects to face the kinds of challenges that can leave you with no sick time to use when an emergency happens. Grievance language doesn’t affect you until something goes wrong, but it can save your job and career.
Once impasse has been declared, language that we’re close to agreement on could well go back on the chopping block. So anything we can lock in now puts us in much better shape for the final stages of our negotiations.
Much of this was passed by both teams today, so language is grouped together a bit differently than normal.
Tentative agreements (TA’s):
8.5.5 Return to the Bargaining Unit: Covers the process when someone returns to an AFSCME-represented position after taking a temporary promotion at OHSU’s request. This is a special situation and we want to be sure they don’t lose out on any of the rights our union has fought for just because they stepped up when OHSU needed them to.
8.7.3 Written request for Market Based Review or New Classification Request: This new language was an attempt to streamline this process, but it was getting too complex and bogged down. Both teams agreed to pull this and continue with current contract language and process.
18.2.2 Selection process and priority to internal candidates: After many passes back and forth, we agreed to stay with current contract language as we were unable to come to a compromise on something that would be an improvement for our members.
21.2 Classification and Reclassification Procedure: Added transparency and more regular reviews of who is working out of class and whether they should be reclassified. These are currently handled only on a case-by-case basis. While we have dropped our initial ask for automatic reclassifications based on time worked out of class, this is still an win for our members and lays the groundwork for future improvement.
Onboarding Package: Language that defines onboarding in contrast with orientation, which can be a prolonged period in many departments and roles. Updates to relevant contract language that references the definition.
Protected Leave Package: We are near a tentative agreement here that will better protect our members when they’re taking time off for emergencies. The last point of contention is an attempt to cover employees who may not have sick time or other accruals but need to take time off of work because of OHSU’s protocols for providers who are ill. New employees or those with unexpected life circumstances should not have their jobs put in jeopardy because OHSU’s policies demand that they can’t be at work.
Temporary Worker Package: The last piece of this language we can’t agree on is that when travelers or agency workers are curtailed, it is “as permitted under their contract.” OHSU did improve this language from their last pass, but it’s still a hard line for our team. The contract for our nearly 8,700 members takes precedence over someone who is brought in to fill a temporary need.
Grievance Package:
We continue to push back on there being consequences when our union misses a deadline, but none when management misses one. What we’ve proposed is that the grievance be moved to the next step when either team misses a deadline rather than a grievance being denied when our union misses one but just moved forward when management does.
Small tweaks to make it clearer that written warnings are invalid after 2 years and verbal warnings after 1 year. This is already explicit, but we have seen far too many cases where management still brings in things that happened many years prior to a disciplinary meeting.
Automated Monitoring: We originally passed this language to define the process when OHSU wishes to add new monitoring systems or software way back on April 8th. OHSU responded on June 3rd, but quickly reached out and asked to pull that response because they needed further consultation. We received their amended response and passed it back today. This is likely close to being a TA.
Language was added that we then cut that gave what we felt was too broad an ability to monitor for disciplinary reasons. OHSU’s limitations were that it needed to be on a subject that the employee had been coached on previously, but we feel it should be more limited.
OHSU added language regarding monitoring for violations that could have legal impact, like HIPAA violations or other security breaches. We agreed that this was a reasonable exception.
OHSU added clarification that employees would only be trained on these potential systems if they have a direct need to be based on their job duties. We tweaked what we considered unnecessary wording here as there’s no reason for the software we’ve seen in the past to be installed unless it is directly tied to an employee’s job duties.
Management added a carve-out for video monitoring or third party applications outside of their control (like if Outlook adds a feature they can’t opt out of) and we sought small clarifications on the limitations and intent here.
Our plan for next Tuesday is to pass back the full economic package as early in the day as possible so that OHSU can respond and we can make serious headway.
Since OHSU insists on keeping all of the economics in one, giant document that is all negotiated together, it’s a huge task to go through those 80 plus pages of language. This has caused a lot of the delays we’ve seen in these negotiations since nearly everything that has a financial cost to it is still open and still being balanced against each other. The Employer refuses to agree to spend $1 here until they’re sure they don’t need to spend $100 over there.
Last week, OHSU made it clear that they had passed us a proposal that included all the money they were willing to spend on our contract. They told our team that we could move money around within that budget, but they didn’t have more to give us. If we are going to see the kinds of raises, time off, and benefits that we deserve, it is vitally important that you stand with your fellow union members and demand it.
Our solidarity is our strength.
If you or your coworkers are not dues paying members, it’s the best time to sign up. Please attend all of our upcoming bargaining events that you can and that you’ve signed your strike pledge. If you’ve already signed or you’re already planning to attend (and even if you can’t), then make sure your coworkers know about them. Member participation is the single best way that we can scare OHSU into giving us what we have earned.
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