Our theme this week was worker safety. Our coalition is made up of workers that are exposed to danger on the job daily – working out in the elements around dangerous wildlife, heavy moving equipment in extreme weather conditions and traffic – and we want to be sure management shares this concern. We asked for clarification on management’s position on keeping workers safe in the field when dealing with wild or unrestrained animals and the use of sprays or other repellants.

Management made 12 proposals, most of which involved current contract language.

We were able to reach agreement on housekeeping articles on union rights and work schedules for Agriculture, Water Resources and OWEBB.

The ODOT Coalition spent a great deal of time working on counters around overtime, filling vacancies, leaves of absence with pay, vacation leave work schedules and safety and health.

We countered management’s proposals on five articles, holding our ground on past proposals and seeking clarity on management’s concerns.

We believe seasonal workers are an important part of the ODOT Coalition workforce and will continue to defend their ability to take vacation.

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Watch this video to hear what Senator Knopp has to say about state employee salaries: