Bargaining Update #25

Glossary

MOA: Memorandum of Agreement

Our Bargaining Team will be in a full-day caucus session on Thursday, August 7th. Here’s what we passed across the table last week:

Union Proposals

Article 5: Union Security, Representation and Business

• Proposed equal representation at the bargaining table; our Union should be allowed to have as many bargaining team members as the County.
• Proposed memorializing our MOA to give full release-time to the individual serving as President of our Local. 
• Proposed 40 hours of Union Business Time per month for the Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer of our Local to complete necessary Union business during work hours.

Article 9: Sick Leave, Fitness for Duty, and Disability Insurance

• Maintained our position that any accrued time used as sick time be protected.
• Proposed that excessive absenteeism not be considered unless all accrued leave has been exhausted. 
• Asserted the County’s obligation to exhaust all options for a reasonable accommodation prior to assessing an employee’s fitness for duty. 
• Proposed that sick time be eligible for donation to Catastrophic Leave requests.

Article 18: Settlement of Disputes

• Proposed pausing the grievance timeline while our Union and the County tries to resolve an issue informally. 
• Maintained our position that Stewards be able to represent employees in the reasonable accommodations process.

Article 20: Workload and Standards, Training, Performance Evaluation, and Organizational Excellence

• Maintained our position that the County has a responsibility to staff appropriately for the “safety of employees, clients, and members of the public.”

Article 24: Non-Discrimination

• The County flat-out rejected our new article on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, so we proposed some of that language in our Non-Discrimination Counter.
• Added a joint recognition of the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workforce as the introduction to this article. 
• Clarified that microaggressions “maintain the power imbalance between protected classes and a dominant culture or group.”
• Proposed language that the County must make every effort not to reassign or otherwise adjust an employee’s work schedule if they’ve reported discrimination (this can feel very retaliatory against the individual who made the report). 

Addendum H: Drug and Alcohol Policy

• We added language to prevent the County from sharing information or evidence with law enforcement that is collected while investigating or enforcing this policy.
• We clarified what counts as “drug paraphernalia” so that just using hemp-based or other non-intoxicating ingredients isn’t cause to be fired. 

Action Items & Events

08/07/25 from 5 – 7pm: Local 88 Happy Hour

Join us at the Workers Tap after bargaining on Thursday, August 7th for a solidarity hour. Hear about our negotiations and learn how you can become more involved in advocating for your workplace rights! The Workers Tap is located at 101 SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214. 

08/08/25 from 8:30 – 9:30am: Bargaining Team Listening Session

Join the 8/8/25 bargaining team listening session to ask questions about bargaining, share feedback, and help collaborate on ongoing actions to help us win a quality contract. 

08/12/25 from 6:30 – 7:30pm: Virtual Trivia with Local 88

Show off your Union know-how and win a prize! Join via this local 88 virtual trivia link. 

09/01/25: Save the Date! Local 88 Labor Day Picnic

• Date: Labor Day, Monday Sept 1st, 2025
• Time: 11-2pm
• Location: Powell Park, 2500 SE Powell Blvd, Portland OR 97202
• Food, games, bounce house, and raffle prizes!
• Free for Local 88 members and their guests!

We appreciate you reading, observing our bargaining sessions, and repping your green on Thursdays!