- Support Compensation for Frontline Workers: Wear green this week and call Chair Kafoury’s office to express your support: 503-988-3308 (see below for more information)
- General Unit Members: Fill out our 2022 bargaining survey.
Frontline Worker Pandemic Pay:
During the course of this pandemic and especially over the last six month, our Union has been advocating and fighting for pay for workers that have been on the frontline and have worked in person. Our frontline workers have experienced increased risk for COVID exposure, long and difficult hours, unprecedented civil unrest and wildfires over the last year. Our demands for compensation have been met with a lack of empathy or urgency from the County.
Despite the County’s rejection of every proposal we’ve made to recognize essential/ frontline workers, Chief Human Resources Officer Travis Graves approved certain managers for bonuses in recognition for their work during COVID. In September, we learned that the County awarded bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 for close to 70 management and executive service employees; these bonuses were awarded between May and September, 2021. We were told by the County’s Labor Relations Director that these bonuses were in recognition for “long hours” during the pandemic but were offered no explanation why their sacrifices were greater than workers directly
Only after we confronted Chair Kafoury about these bonuses for managers did the County finally decide to make a counter proposal. The County offered frontline workers a bonus payment of $1,500. Unfortunately, rather than expressing gratitude for the service of frontline workers by simply providing deserved compensation, the County decided to condition their offer on your acceptance of a 2022 COLA that comes nowhere close to increasing wages to keep pace with inflation. (The Consumer Price Index for the first nine months of the year is close to 5% but the County is proposing a maximum COLA of 4%). Their offer also required an extension of your Local 88 contract for another year. An extension of current contracts would also eliminate our leverage to address many other important issues concerning our working conditions for another year.
We’re asking all members to show Chair Kafoury our outrage with her proposal by action this week in all of the following ways:
- Make a phone call to Chair Kafoury’s office and ask her to support Local 88 workers like we have supported the County and our community by acknowledging our sacrifices and agreeing to our proposal for frontline workers that haven’t been able to telework during this pandemic. Here are some talking points for your phone conversation as well as contact information for her office.
- This week, wear green or our “I Am Essential” t-shirt to work. Wear a union button and put up a “I AM ESSENTIAL placard in your workspace. Take a picture of your co-workers or a selfie to show your AFSCME Strong pride. You can post it to Facebook and Instagram with #AFSCME88 #Essential or email the picture to us at cabi@afscmelocal88.org. You can also show support solidarity by using our “I Am Essential” Google Meet/ Zoom video background for work meetings.
In Solidarity,
Percy Winters, Jr.
Local 88 President
