More than 30 union members have made a commitment to share their time and talents with our union by being part of the 2022 bargaining process. We have used the results of our member survey and the voices of our bargaining delegates and other union members to develop our bargaining goals.
Our first bargaining session was 2/24/22 and we have now completed more than 13 bargaining sessions with the county. Our current contract expired 6/30/22 and it is not unusual to have bargaining go past this date. Be assured that your rights are all in place while we work hard to make our contract even stronger!
Our bargaining team is made up of amazing union members. Show your union support on our bargaining days or anytime you feel like it.
Recent Posts
Multnomah County Pharmacists Unit – AFSCME Local 88-4 Has Reached a Tentative Agreement!
Multnomah County Health Department Pharmacists Unit – AFSCME Local 88-4 successfully completed their 1st contract. Thanks to the amazing bargaining team: Marion Clark, Rachel Uhlig, Sarah Block, Percy Winters, Jr. , Jordan Muehe and Eben Pullman Tentative Agreement Summary 11.32% wage increase (5% COLA + 6.32% market increase) retroactive to July 1, 2022 3% Step
Market Adjustments for Selected Classifications – Bargaining
After two months of back and forth with the County, we have finalized the list of classifications to be studied in this round of negotiations. We plan on meeting with the County beginning mid April. Please check the link below for the full list. In addition, we will offer training to those members whose classifications
FAQ: If I receive a retro COLA payment, will I receive an amended W2?
Q: I’m a Multnomah County employee. If I receive the COLA retro payment will I receive an amended W2? A: No. Retro pay/back pay is considered wages in the year it was paid in accordance with IRS regulations. Since the retro pay is being paid out in 2023, the retro earnings are considered 2023 income
Contract Updates
Our union is implementing the changes to our Local 88 contract. By now you should have received the retention/incentive bonus of $2500. This amount may have been prorated based on your work schedules. Here are responses to the two most frequently asked questions. Q: When will our new contract be available online and in print?
UPDATED 12/1: Watch as the Board of Commissioners votes to ratify our new contract!
UPDATE: Watch the video of the Board of Commissioners unanimously vote to ratify our contract!! Join us on 12/1 to watch the Board of Commissioners will vote to ratify our contract! Attendance is on your own time. Thursday, December 1, 2022, 9 am – 12 pm during the regular Board of Commissioners meeting. (Watch for the
Understanding the Collective Bargaining Process
As union members you are likely aware of our right to strike when contract negotiations break down. Some people have been asking why after bargaining for this long we are not planning to strike. The collective bargaining process is bound by rules and can be complicated if you are not familiar with it.
This collective bargaining process infographic gives an overview of this process. We are in the negotiation phase of this process (marked as “We are here” in the infographic). Although we have not reached an impasse, we have begun to host some escalation actions. We continue to have productive bargaining sessions. We have begun holding pickets and unity breaks as a way for members to show our solidarity and union power. These events have been very successful.
What You Can Do
- Download a virtual background to use during online meetings! Detailed instructions for setting a virtual background in Zoom and Google Meet
- Wear a union button, sticker, or t-shirt
- Post a union placard in your workspace
- Talk to your fellow union members about the importance of union solidarity
- Come back to our bargaining webpage to learn more about the progress our union bargaining team is making
2022 Contract Negotiations: What are we fighting for?
Our members have reported frequent and ongoing issues that impact their safety at work. This covers everything from hazardous working conditions for those performing physical work or manual labor, to violence in the workplace or on the job. We want a clear standard that management is responsible for providing safe working conditions and a process for a worker to decline an assignment that puts them or others in imminent danger.
The County wants to give managers greater authority to mandate overtime but without additional compensation or consideration for workers and their families. We are seeking to maintain our current contract language on mandatory overtime assignments and proposing that the County pay double-time for any mandated overtime.
We are seeking COLA that supports workers who are experiencing the stifling effects of inflation. The increases we see in prices has meant a reduction in our real wages. We see this every time we go to the grocery store, pay for childcare, fill our gas tank to get to work, or to take care of other living expenses.
We are seeking to add Indigenous People’s Day as a recognized holiday to honor the people who work for and are served by the County who identify as Indigenous. It is also an important step to aligning the work of the County to better support Indigenous communities.
We proposed that the County be prohibited from making any payroll deductions for overpayments without an employee’s written authorization. Our experience since the implementation of Workday in 2019 and over the course of the COVID pandemic has made it clear that the County either doesn’t have the capacity or the willingness to avoid continuous or widespread pay errors, nor do they have the systems in place to handle these situations compassionately or transparently on a consistent basis.
All too often, the County forces bilingual employees to jump through multiple hoops to be paid fairly for their labor. If an employee is using their bilingual skills on a routine basis in their job, that is all that should be necessary for workers to receive the pay premium.
The County’s current leave policies don’t provide support for workers who have experienced trauma as a result of their work at the County or support workers who experience greater complications and leave demands because their families live abroad. We are proposing paid leave for workers in these circumstances.
In the News
Multnomah County Health Care Workers Raise Concerns of Inequities, Staffing – The Lund Report 10/11/2022