AFSCME 328 Newsletter

Volume 01, Issue 03, May 2026

IU Convention Delegate Nominations

Delegate Nominations Hybrid Meeting will be held Tuesday, 5/26/26 @ 5:00pm in the MacHall Auditorium, Room 1162. A link for this meeting is below. One last call for online nominations before they close at 4:59 pm. Members will be able to place nominations during the nominations meeting. The final nominees will be announced to the membership.

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When it's time, join your Webex meeting here.
Join Meeting: https://ohsu.webex.com/ohsu/j.php?MTID=mded524af89f0b6d173363c253140cc9c
Meeting password: bSmpmWJv824

Phone (audio only):
1-503-388-9555 Portland, OR
1-206-207-1700 Seattle, WA
Meeting number (access code): 2633 821 6352
Additional call-in numbers: https://ohsu.webex.com/ohsu/globalcallin.php

Steward Corner

Recent Wins

One of our new stewards, Brendan, resolved his first two grievances at step 1. In doing so he uncovered discrepancies in how well being hours were distributed and will follow up to assess the scope of the problem.

We’ve had two reasonable suspicion cases where after talking to the member, the employer and union representative mutually agreed there was not reasonable suspicion for drug testing.

Our Chief Steward has been hard at work. This past month he got a member paid for work done over a year ago and referred them to BOLI to see if they were eligible for additional compensation due to late payment. He was also able to reach a settlement for a member who held a part-time FTE but was working full-time FTE based on department needs. Through the grievance process, we secured compensation for full-time benefits covering the time they worked above their FTE.

Interested in becoming a steward? - Sign Up Here.

Steward Case Win

--Guest submission by Arriana Shimojima --

I have been with OHSU for five years. I was a union steward in my previous roles. Now, in my fourth position within the university, I would not be here without the union’s support.  

Back in September 2025, I had filed a grievance with the union for hostile work environment, harassment, retaliation, and bullying. I was deeply struggling in both my position and communicating with my team. I had never had this experience with OHSU management. After meeting with HR and encouragement from my union reps, I decided to move forward with the grievance process.  

Throughout this time, the reasons I filed my grievance persisted. Fortunately, so did I. My reps; Badger and Jeff, were in constant communication with myself and the HR rep on this grievance. They always had my best interest in mind. Towards the end, the union was able to facilitate me being put on the Preferential Hiring List in place of being fired. They met with the HR rep multiple times advocating for both my success and my career. Our chapter truly walks the walk and I am thankful to be a part of it. 

AFSCME Farmer’s Market Table

Are you interested in representing our union at a table during the Marquam Hill Farmer’s Market? Volunteers should be available anytime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, or the whole time block. There is a minor amount of setup and teardown.

Volunteers should wear green, be friendly and have a basic knowledge of the contract. Other unions are very welcome to share the table.  They should reach out two weeks prior so I can get the Farmer's Market organizer to change the "blurb" for the event to reflect the participation of other unions.

Participation dates:

• Tue 6/2/2026

• Tue 6/9/2026

• Tue 7/14/2026

• Tue 8/11/2026

• Tue 9/8/2026

If you’re interested in signing up to table please reach out to Teresa Newton (atlarge18@local328.org)

Fear Is the Mindkiller: My First Day Tabling with AFSCME Local 328

--Guest submission by Jennifer Hawthorne--

“Fear is the mindkiller” were the words I carried with me as I entered my first tabling session.

Fear, because for the first time, I was honoring my family legacy as Teamsters and civil rights fighters. It felt like a heavy responsibility. I was afraid to say the wrong thing. Afraid I would get in trouble at my job. I brought all that anxiety with me on a beautiful Thursday morning to my union siblings.

Badger, Sophia, Leah, Tania, Nate, and Anika were more confident than me, bringing their experience and calm energy. That confidence helped put my mind at ease as we set up our table, complete with coffee, snacks, swag, and valuable information on workers’ rights, along with zines on how to protect yourself from ICE.

Together, we were a force for truth in the Knight Cancer Research Building. Decked in AFSCME green and ready to answer any question or take on any issue that would arise. Many curious people came to our table with questions about transparency at Knight and OHSU. Even when we did not have all the answers, we were determined to find them.

We visited every floor in the building because we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to connect with us. We met so many amazing people, our members, students, postdocs, even faculty, all with questions, concerns, and curiosity about our union. And we did our best to meet each one with honesty and respect.

What I realized by the end of the day is that organizing is not about being fearless. It is about showing up, even when you are scared. It is about standing with your coworkers, listening to their concerns, and building something stronger together.

I walked in carrying fear, but I walked out carrying something else. Pride. Pride in my union, pride in my coworkers, and pride in myself for taking that first step.

Hardship Fund Update

Overview: After the contract was ratified and the Hardship Fund was restored we had two choices: take additional time to create decision matrices and policies and roll the Hardship Fund out smoothly, but several months later; or stand it up as quickly as possible to start helping our members, knowing there would be some teething troubles that would take discussion and iteration to fix. We chose to help our members as soon as we could.

How the Hardship Fund works: Members may apply to the Hardship Fund here, if they meet the criteria listed in the policy here.

The application initially goes to LCSA, the non-profit who administrates this fund for Local 328 as well as others unions. LCSA will review each application and give funds accordingly. Currently, if LCSA denies an application this will go to the Executive Board for review and either approval or denial. If you are awarded funds, these will go directly to: a utility company, a rental property manager, a mortgage holder, or a professional childcare provider.

Next steps and timeline: We want your feedback and if you are interested in participating please email vicepresident@local328.org. We’ve updated the website with the most current information and as things evolve we will keep our membership informed. If you feel your hardship application was incorrectly denied it could have been from a lack of information. Please resubmit your request and provide as much information as possible. If you have an eviction/shut-off notice attaching them to your submission will expedite the process. Interested in joining the Hardship Committee? Fill-out this application,  your application will be reviewed as soon as possible. Once this committee is up and running Hardship Fund requests that were denied by LCSA will be reviewed by the Hardship Committee rather than the Executive Board.

Representing ONPRC’s Workforce via Legislative Endorsement Interviews

On April 22nd, members of AFSCME Local 328 sat down with four Oregon State Representatives who had previously voiced support in closing the Oregon National Primate Research Center: Farrah Chaichi, Jules Walters, Mark Gamba, and Zach Hudson.
This meeting was made possible through AFSCME Council 75’s endorsement process, which ensures that lawmakers seeking endorsement are held accountable to our members who have not had their full support in the past. This process gives locals a true voice and makes the endorsement process truly meaningful.
Each of our members spoke from their heart. They shared their career trajectories that brought them to ONPRC, their dedication to science, and their deep care and love for our non-human primate colleagues. By the end of the meeting, Representatives Walters, Gamba, and Hudson voiced support for our workforce and committed to scheduling tours of the ONPRC campus to learn more firsthand. We see this as a meaningful and encouraging shift and proof that our advocacy works. A heartfelt thank you to the member leaders who showed up and spoke up for our members:

AFSCME Local 328: Mariposa Gollery, Aeriel Jensen, Nathaniel Guard, Jacqueline Domire, and President Jennie Olson

Research Workers United: Molly Shallman and Henry Harrison

Advocating for our Membership on the Future of ONPRC Committee

Local 328 is also proud to have a strong presence on the Future of ONPRC Committee, where our member leaders ensure that the voices of our workforce are heard and considered at every step of this process. Our member leaders serving on the committee are:

Nathaniel Guard who has devoted nearly two decades to the care of our non-human primate colleagues, bringing an unmatched understanding of the quality of care that is necessary no matter what direction OHSU takes.

Jason Jaworski, co-chair of the workforce committee, has administered ONPRC’s P51 grant for over a decade which enables him to be an invaluable resource of the research infrastructure of the center.

Local 328 President Jennie Olson who advocates on behalf of all 328 members and brings her own history at ONPRC, having previously worked in the Division of Neuroscience.

Our team meets multiple times a month with our respective workgroups (including members of RWU, Post-Docs United, and Graduate Research United) to make sure the full scope of our members’ responsibilities to our workforce and to animal care is thoroughly understood. We actively identify and flag the potential impacts that a closure or transition to sanctuary could have on our members and the animals we serve. This work is being directly utilized by OHSU’s steering and negotiation committee.

YOU can help advocate for ONPRC by doing any of the following:

• Send letters to your representatives through Save Science Oregon. While you are there, play the Stay Alive game, and learn more about how science is under attack.

• Consider adding a link to Save Science Oregon in your email signature so that you can spread real information

• Sign up to give public testimony at OHSU’s public Board Meetings to voice your support for our members and the science taking place at ONPRC

• Attend the monthly townhalls to raise questions and considerations with OHSU leadership

• Stay up-to-date on the latest research coming out of ONPRC and all other National Primate Research Centers.

Juneteenth - what it means and why we celebrate it

Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday's name refers to June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.  Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when the 117th U.S. Congress enacted and President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth became the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.  This new federal holiday honors Black workers' right to fair wages, dignity and respect - in the workplace and everywhere else.

Early Juneteenth celebrations date back to 1866, initially involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. As the celebration spread across the South among newly freed African-Americans and their descendants it began to include food festivals. As southern Black people participated in the Great Migration they brought the Juneteenth celebrations with them to the rest of the US. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, Juneteenth celebrations evolved and became a part of the nonviolent determination to achieve civil rights.

This intersection of workers rights and civil rights is a part of our labor history.  There are many contributions to the labor movement that can be drawn directly from Black Americans determined to continue to improve their lives, including their working conditions, which we celebrate during Juneteenth.

A. Philip Randolph was born in the late 1800s in Florida. He attended what is now known as Bethune-Cookman University. After graduating, Randolph moved to Harlem, where he became deeply involved in the fight for Black economic and social justice.  In 1925, he met with Pullman porters—Black men working grueling hours on luxury trains for low pay under harsh conditions. These workers, employed by the Chicago-based Pullman Palace Car Company, were essential to the railway industry but were treated as disposable. Randolph spent the next decade organizing with them. In 1937, their persistence paid off: the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was officially recognized, becoming the first predominantly Black labor union in the United States.

Then as the nation headed into World War II, he expanded his focus.  He understood that economic justice couldn’t be separated from the fight against racial discrimination. He led the campaign to end segregation in the defense industry and the military—an effort that forced President Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802, banning discriminatory hiring practices in defense jobs, and establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission.

He became one of the first two Black vice presidents of the newly formed AFL-CIO and went on to establish the Negro American Labor Council (NALC), ensuring that the voices of Black workers remained central in the labor movement.  In 1963, Randolph played a leading role in organizing the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Nearly 250,000 people gathered in the nation’s capital to demand civil rights and economic opportunity.

Dorothy Bolden is another Black Labor Unionist.  She began doing domestic work alongside her mother at just nine years old. Bolden believed domestic workers deserved respect, recognition, and fair treatment, just like anyone else in the labor force. In 1968, she founded the National Domestic Workers Union, organizing housekeepers, nannies, and other domestic laborers on a national scale—something that had never been done before. The union empowered workers to negotiate for better pay, benefits like vacation time, and basic dignity on the job. Bolden also made it a requirement for every member to register to vote, helping domestic workers find their voice not just at work, but in the political arena as well.

New Committee Chair Introductions

Political Action Chair – Chris Manno

I got my first union job when I was 16 and learned early the power of organizing to improve the lives of workers.

Unlike many of my union siblings at the time, I was lucky enough to go to college where I earned a degree in social work.

My entire career has been devoted to improving my community.

In Los Angeles:

• I helped run a network of community health centers.

• Oversaw the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) to expand and enhance health care access to all individuals regardless of their citizenship and ability to pay.

In Portland:

• When I’m not working on grants at the Knight Cancer Institute and spending time with my wife and young son:

• I am an active community leader fighting for North Portland.

• I volunteer as the president of Friends of Columbia Park, and I am actively involved in advocating for resources in this often-forgotten part of the city.

  • Last year, we blocked demolition of Columbia Pool and continue to work with city leaders to find creative solutions to increase access for life-saving swim lessons.

Membership Committee – Nate LeViner

Hi everyone,

My name is Nate LeViner and I recently stepped into the Membership Chair role.

I've been at OHSU for nearly 21 years. Became a unit steward while working in Patient Transportation over 10 years ago. As someone who has had a few negative experiences since being here, I know what we're capable of accomplishing when we support each other. My priority is to ensure our membership experience is outstanding not just for new members, but to ensure current members feel engaged & valued by our union.

In June we will be having a new membership blitz, during the first week. It will culminate in a Membership party on Saturday June 6th from 5-7pm. Be on the lookout for more info.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you and seeing what we can accomplish together. I'm typically on the hill Sat-Mon from 0700-1930. I can be reached at membership@local328.org.

Membership Blitz

Calling all 328 member leaders! Join us June 1-6 for our collaborative membership blitz with House Officers Union! With HOU bargaining coming up and 328’s Presidential runoff and Convention elections coming up, now is the perfect time to sign up our coworkers for 328! Help strengthen our union and show solidarity with our union siblings in HOU! 

Sign up for phonebanking, clinic visits, and tabling June 1-6. Training provided. bit.ly/OHSUblitz

Don’t Let Management Write Your Staffing Plan Without You

Oregon’s hospital staffing law (HB 2697) always covered ambulatory clinics operating under a hospital license, but until the Oregon Health Authority assessed a ruling (and fines), OHSU refused to create ambulatory staffing plans. OHA’s ruling makes it crystal clear that OHSU is required to develop staffing plans for these settings, and we need YOUR help to create them!

We need ambulatory clinic members who are passionate about safe staffing and patient care, who want to hold OHSU accountable to the spirit of House Bill 2697, and are ready to bring coworkers’ concerns to the committee. This is a true opportunity to make a lasting impact for the better for so many of our members!

If you’re interested in serving as an ambulatory representative on the Staffing Committee, please fill out an application here. If you have any questions, feel free to contact safestaffing@local328.org.

Member Led Forum Update

We are still seeking proposals for a member-moderated open forum. See requirements and questions to consider in our March newsletter.  Applicants are encouraged to send proposals to communications@local328.org.

A Union Win

Members of AFSCME Local 328 know what it takes to sit across the bargaining table and fight for the workers who keep our institutions running. That's why we are thrilled to congratulate our siblings at AFSCME Local 3299 at the University of California system on their Tentative Agreement (TA).

Local 3299 and Local 328 have a good deal common. We both represent a large and diverse membership across multiple campuses and facilities, from service workers, patient care positions, and skilled craft workers (and that's just a small portion of the over 400 job classifications we represent!). Both our memberships are the true backbone of our of world-class research and healthcare institutions. Both our locals spent significant time fighting at the bargaining table. We at Local 328 spent just over a year on our contract fight while Local 3299 has been fighting for over two years!

If ratified, Local 3299’s new contract will include a lump sum bonus of $1,500 for non-probationary workers, a Year One across-the-board wage increase of 5%, and an immediate minimum wage of $25 per hour — rising to $30 per hour by 2029. Their goals are incredibly similar to ours: raising the minimum wage to a livable wage in our respective locations.

Local 3299’s win is similar to ours in that when our members organize, stick together, and stay at the table, we win! Each contract reflects the unique circumstances of our particular bargaining units, but the direction is the same: higher wages, greater security, and real recognition for the essential work our members do every day!

Safety Break Month

May is Oregon OSHA’s Safety Break month, and you are all invited to take a break for safety!

If you work on Marquam Hill or the South Waterfront you’ll have the chance to see Sloane the Safety Cone roaming around in the wild, handing out cookies, temporary tattoos, and more.

This year the focus of OHSU’s Safety Break is Incident Reporting. If you are on an OHSU property and experience an injury, a near miss, or workplace violence (which now includes verbal aggression) you can report it through the Worker Student Injury Reporting System. WSIRS is also the online tool that OHSU utilizes to gather information needed to file a claim with Saif, OHSU’s workers’ compensation carrier.

Why should you report a Near Miss if no one actually got hurt? OHSU’s Risk Management department and the OSHU OSHA Safety Committee (OSC) can’t use the data to make recommendations for policy changes and campus improvements. We can’t fix what we don’t know about.

So spread the word and, as Sloane says, “Be a WSIRS Wizard!”

-Badger, Local 328 appointee to the OSC.

A Month In Labor History

This month, I would like to write a bit about a personal hero of mine, James Connolly (Séamas Ó Conghaile).

Born in 1868 in Edinburgh to Irish immigrant parents, Connolly spent the majority of his forty-seven years agitating and organizing for the betterment of the working class, both within unions and independence movements. For a brief time in the early 1900s, he even lived in New York working with the local chapters of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).
He would eventually return to his homeland of Ireland, engaging in much of the same union organizing activity as before. He helped to organize female millworkers in Belfast and working to train up volunteers to protect striking workers from the violent overreach of the British police.
Through those efforts, he would eventually align with the Irish Republican Brotherhood in 1915. Ironically, though the Brotherhood was the latest group in a centuries long tradition of secret organizations dedicated to Irish independence, they considered Connolly too radical to trust with their inner workings until he threatened to storm Dublin Castle with his own group of volunteers.
To Connolly, the Irish independence movement was too focused on questions of nationalism, leaving the average Irish worker and their oppressive conditions unanswered.
Despite their disagreements, the Brotherhood leadership and Connolly did agree that an action of revolutionary courage was required and so he was informed of their plans to enact a rising during Easter of 1916.

 The Rising took place on the 24 of April 1916 and involved a force of Irish freedom fighters from various groups attempting to occupy public buildings around the capital of Dublin. On the steps of the General Post Office (GPO) and as British soldiers moved to react to this unexpected insurrection, the Proclamation of the Irish Republic was read out by Padraig Pearse.
The fighting lasted almost a week, brought to a close by the rebels surrendering in hopes of stopping the British’s naval bombardment of the city which had caused thousands of civilian casualties. With the leadership surrendered into custody of the Army and many were executed as a result of their participation.
Connolly himself was taken to Kilmainham Gaol, a prison that had held countless other famous Irish rebels. There he was allowed to recover only so long as a brief court martial decided his fate. On May 12th, still so wounded that the firing squad tasked with his execution was forced to tie him to a chair, Connolly was executed for his part in the Rising.
James Connolly’s life and sacrifice serves as an object lesson that the cause of the worker is the cause of freedom. Learning about him and visiting the sites of the Rising as a child had a profound impact on me and began my journey of union advocacy. He was more than a hero. He was a union man.
Many songs have been written in his honor and of the brave soldiers of the Rising but if I were to recommend a few, I would suggest you give a listen to “James Connolly” and “The Foggy Dew” both sung by The Wolfe Tones.

Solidarity Forever

Do you have a newsletter article or guest blog post? We’d love to hear from you, please submit your request here.

AFSCME LOCAL 328 Union Officers

President — Jennie Olson

Vice President — Jenn Roemer

Secretary — Cassie Barton

Treasurer — Kerry Moore

Chief Steward — Angelo Bologna

AFSCME Local 328 Contact Info:

Email: info@local328.org

Website: https://www.local328.org/

Facebook: @AFSCME328

Instagram:@afscmelocal328

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