Bargaining Update #31

CBA: Collective Bargaining Agreement

COLA: cost of living adjustment

C75: Council 75 (AFSCME)

We had a full-day caucus session on September 11th to work on counterproposals and action planning, and this week will be another full caucus day. While we are coming closer together with the County on several non-economic issues, we have yet to see them offer a meaningful counter-proposal on wages. If you haven’t already told us your priorities for how you’d like to see wage increases implemented in our CBA, please take a moment to do so here. It includes breakdowns of the different kinds of wage proposals for COLA and a calculator so you can run through an example of what your wages might look like for any of the options.The Wage Survey will be closed to responses after September 17th. 

Action Items & Upcoming Events

Labor Against Genocide – Rally & March

Sunday, September 21st at 6:00pm

“This Rally and March will be solemn, grieving the suffering and loss of life in Palestine, and demanding that we stop arming Israel. Labor is mobilizing in response to a call for international solidarity by Palestinian unionists.” RSVP to the event here at Berkeley Park here. 

Pack the Room!

Thursday, October 2nd

We are asking our members to attend the County Commissioners board meeting at 9:30am on Thursday, October 2nd and to share testimony on key sticking points and priorities of our negotiations. We’ll need several individuals to speak and we want them to feel the support and solidarity of our co-workers around them as they address the Board. If you’re able to attend and would like to provide testimony or just stand in solidarity with our member speakers, please email us at bargaining@afscmelocal88.org; don’t forget to wear your AFSCME green!

Member Action Team Meeting

Monday, October 6th

Our virtual MAT meeting is from 6:30 – 7:30pm on Monday, October 6th.  We will be discussing how we are continuing to grow our power, engage members, and build for a strike in order to win a fair contract. Going on strike is the ultimate tool in a Union’s kit for a fair contract, and being strike-ready is critical to our ability to hold-out against the County as we advocate for the issues of most importance to our members. Most Unions that vote to go on strike actually end up settling their CBA before they get to the picket line, because their employers know that they are a credible threat. Having a well-informed membership that is prepared and ready to go on strike is critical to our negotiating power at the table. If you are interested in joining the MAT or getting more involved in our campaign for a fair contract, contact us here.  

Did You Know?

Equal Rights for All Campaign: “Equal Rights for All is an Oregon ballot measure campaign that will affirm the right to abortion, contraception and IVF, transgender health care, and same-gender marriage in the Oregon Constitution.” This measure will appear on the November 2026 ballot. You can learn more about the Equal Rights for All Campaign here.

Oregon Campaign: Our CBA ensures the legal right of our members to receive progressive discipline prior to being terminated from the County unless for an egregious reason; while this is a common benefit for Unions with a Collective Bargaining Agreement, many employers in Oregon are still considered “at-will” employers, which basically means they can fire you without giving you a reason. If the Just Cause Ballot Measure comes to pass, Oregon will become the next state, second only after Montana, to disallow “at-will” employment. You can learn more about the Oregon Campaign here.

Update your Profile Images and backgrounds: One simple way to show your support for the best possible contract is to change your virtual meeting backgrounds and profile images. You can find instructions and lots of beautiful images to use here!

Follow Us on Social Media: Stay up to date on all the latest news by following AFSCME Local 88 on Instagram and Facebook!

In Solidarity, 

Your Bargaining Team

Questions? Email us at bargaining@afscmelocal88.org