Spring Break
SEIU, OUS agree to some terms, others still on bargaining table
Negotiations between Oregon University System and labor union continue Thursday
Nick Vardanega
Issue date: 7/25/07 Section: News
The Oregon University System and SEIU are currently in negotiations trying to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement before the end of summer.
SEIU is a worker's union that represents all classified university employees, which include all university employees with the exception of faculty and management positions, and in OSU's case custodial services which is contracted out to a private company.
The collective bargaining agreement - which expired on June 30 - lays out terms in a number of different economic areas pertaining to classified university employees such as salaries, benefits, insurance and vacation time.
SEIU, along with representatives from each of the OUS colleges were in Monmouth at Western Oregon University last week negotiating the terms of a new two year collective bargaining agreement.
The groups have not yet finalized a contract, but have come to agreement in certain areas.
They agreed to a three percent salary increase for classified employees that will go into effect retroactively from July 1. They also agreed on a 3.2 percent increase that will go into effect on November 1, 2008, said Maggie Neel, president of SEIU Local 083 - the OSU branch of Local 503 - who was at the negotiations.
The terms of the collective bargaining agreement do not affect student fees.
They also discussed the possibility of contracting out more jobs to private companies.
Jeri Hemmer - associate director of employment relations for the office of human resources for OSU, who was also at the negotiations - said they have tentatively agreed to the language of an article allowing them to discuss the possibility of contracting out, but SEIU wants to see a feasibility report.
"[They] want to know more about how much it's going to cost," Hemmer said. "They want more information about what that looks like."
Neel expressed concern about classified employees losing their jobs to private companies.
SEIU is a worker's union that represents all classified university employees, which include all university employees with the exception of faculty and management positions, and in OSU's case custodial services which is contracted out to a private company.
The collective bargaining agreement - which expired on June 30 - lays out terms in a number of different economic areas pertaining to classified university employees such as salaries, benefits, insurance and vacation time.
SEIU, along with representatives from each of the OUS colleges were in Monmouth at Western Oregon University last week negotiating the terms of a new two year collective bargaining agreement.
The groups have not yet finalized a contract, but have come to agreement in certain areas.
They agreed to a three percent salary increase for classified employees that will go into effect retroactively from July 1. They also agreed on a 3.2 percent increase that will go into effect on November 1, 2008, said Maggie Neel, president of SEIU Local 083 - the OSU branch of Local 503 - who was at the negotiations.
The terms of the collective bargaining agreement do not affect student fees.
They also discussed the possibility of contracting out more jobs to private companies.
Jeri Hemmer - associate director of employment relations for the office of human resources for OSU, who was also at the negotiations - said they have tentatively agreed to the language of an article allowing them to discuss the possibility of contracting out, but SEIU wants to see a feasibility report.
"[They] want to know more about how much it's going to cost," Hemmer said. "They want more information about what that looks like."
Neel expressed concern about classified employees losing their jobs to private companies.
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