Below is the tentative agreement reached on 10/5/2010 between the DCTU bargaining team and the City of Portland. This is not a binding document but rather what our bargaining team agreed to bring to the members to vote for ratification or rejection.

Bargaining team members are scheduling worksite meetings beginning the week of 10/11 to discuss the proposal and answer questions about the tentative agreement. Look for additional information here, on your local website and in your workplace. Remember the ultimate authority lies with the membership, nothing is approved until you decide.

 In Solidarity

The District Council of Trade Unions bargaining team abruptly ended Thursday's mediation session at 7:00 PM following nearly nine hours of bargaining.

The action came when the DCTU, after nearly seven hours of waiting, received one of the most regressive bargaining proposals in the history of DCTU/City of Portland bargaining. Members of the bargaining team believed almost universally, what they had suspected for nearly nine months, the City of Portland is not interested in settling the contract and is forcing the Union to move to a strike. This became more apparent given the City team was being led by Yvonne Deckard.

Mediation began at approximately 10:00 AM when State Mediator Bob Nightingale briefed the Union team on the mediation process. The mediator then asked the DCTU to give him an overview of bargaining and  the parties proposals. Mediator Nightingale then met with the City of Portland team following the same procedure. Following the initial briefings the mediator asked the Union to submit a proposal. Since the DCTU had not received a complete response on its last proposal over the last few weeks of regular bargaining - the Union re-submitted the same proposal. The DCTU bargaining team then waited over five hours for the City's response.

The state mediator briefed the DCTU bargaining team at approximately 5:30 PM on the City proposal. The following is a brief recap of the significant issues the City of Portland brought to the mediation process:

Contracting Out: Despite clear communications from City Council that their only concern centered around "warranty work" the City resubmitted their proposal that completely "guts" our current contract language.

Shifts: The City made some movement towards the Unions proposal to increase shift differential. However, the City wants to tie that increase to a significant change in shift starting times that would impact our members.

Overtime: The City is proposing that anyone utilizing "unprotected sick leave" (FMLA,/OFLA) at anytime would not be eligible for overtime under the eight-hour work day.

Seniority: The City is proposing eliminating the 25% Rule in the contract so they can select from the top two most senior employees at all times. This is a brand new proposal from the City that has never been brought to the bargaining table in nine months of bargaining.

Health Care: The City is refusing to guarantee they will include dependents in the cost of health care under new federal health care legislation.

Labor Management Committees: The City is refusing to commit to contract language that outlines a formal process to Labor Management Committees throughout City bureaus.

Grievance Procedure: The City is proposing a complete rewrite of the Level Four Arbitration language. This change would seriously impact the Unions' ability to review possible arbitration cases and impact the Unions' administration of grievances.

Wage Rates: The City is proposing a complete wage freeze for 2010. In 2011 and 2012 they are proposing a COLA of 1% to 5%. The City maae some minor movement in a market salary survey but would only move an implementation date to July 1, 2012 and would not commit to any automatic triggers - this would cause the Unions to renegotiate in mid-term of the contract.

Schedule A Premiums: There are numerous proposals for Schedule A Premiums on the table. The Union will post these documents along with the entire City proposal later today. 

The next mediation session is scheduled for this coming Thursday September 30, 2010.

Sent on behalf of the DCTU & AFSCME Local 189

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: James Hester, (503) 970-7737
jhester@oregonafscme.com

Chanting that they don't want their jobs contracted out, almost 100 members
of the District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) congregated in front of the
Maintenance building on Kirby Avenue at the end of their shift today (Sept.
17).

This protest was in response to the City of Portland's proposal to make
major changes in the contracting out language protections. The DCTU, an
association of all the city's unions except the police officers and
firefighters unions, is bargaining a new contract with the city.

"The city admitted it wants to change this language due to a lost
arbitration on contracting out of bargaining unit work," said James Hester.
Hester is the chief negotiator for the DCTU as well as the Staff
Representative for AFSCME Local 189, the largest city union.

"The arbitrator found that the city had tried to deceive the union and made
false claims about the contract's purpose," Hester continued. "The city had
a vendor doing the work that stole a considerable amount of money from the
city. During bargaining, the city acknowledged they didn't know if any of
the contracts they currently have are saving taxpayers money. Yet now the
city wants to gut the notification requirements that are currently in the
contract.

"Our members feel that this is a 'good government' issue and the current
language holds the city accountable, not only to the employees, but to the
public as well."

Hester noted all of the city's unions will gather together on Wednesday,
Sept. 29, at 4:30 p.m. for a major bargaining rally at Portland City Hall.
Further details on that rally will be released soon.