We celebrate the launch of Oregon Paid Leave, which is a victory for Oregon workers. Beginning in September 2023, workers in our state will have access to up to twelve weeks of paid leave so they can better care for themselves or for a loved one.
In anticipation of the implementation of Oregon Paid Leave (OPL) at OSU, we filed a demand to bargain. Our bargaining team met with a few members of the administration on Thursday, October 27 to begin discussion. There are a number of issues to figure out. Contributions to the OPL fund will begin in January 2023, which is why we are at the table now. We look forward to working with the administration to sort out the details.
The two major issues we address in our initial proposal are employee contributions and salary replacement. OPL is funded by contributions from employers and employees. Employers are required to contribute at least .4% of the total 1% required contribution. We propose that the employer (OSU) cover the full contribution to the OPL fund. Despite the raises we were able to win, faculty have been facing several months of high inflation, and we know that .6% of salary is not insignificant for our members, especially those on the lower end of the salary range. OSU has deeper coffers than faculty, and we think the administration can and should cover employee contributions.
We also propose that the employer (OSU) ensure that faculty receive full salary replacement while using OPL. As in workers compensation, the OPL system will provide lower wage workers with full salary replacement while higher wage workers will receive a portion of their salary. Even as we recognize the benefits of this model, we think faculty should receive full salary replacement while on leave.
We will be meeting with OSU’s administration on Monday, November 7 and Monday, November 14, both at 10:00 am on Zoom, to hear their response to our proposal and to continue to discuss the implementation of OPL. Any bargaining unit member is welcome to observe bargaining. Register for these sessions at uaosu.org/nov7 and uaosu.org/nov14.
In solidarity,
Your bargaining team: Kathleen Stanley (UAOSU President and Lead Negotiator), Louisa Hooven (UAOSU Grievance Chair), Marisa Chappell (UAOSU Executive Vice President), Lori Cramer (UAOSU Representative), H Rakes (UAOSU Representative), Megan Dickison and Dan Andersen (UAOSU Executive Directors)