Central Table Workers Win Fair Contract Despite Economic Uncertainty

After months of negotiations and amazing work by the members of the bargaining team, as of August 31, state workers represented by the Oregon AFSCME Central Table have ratified their contract for the next two years. 

Although workers saw historic COLAs in the 2023-25 bargaining cycle (13% over the two-year contract), inflation and the rising cost of living in Oregon continued to make it difficult to make ends meet for many state workers. “This year, due to the uncertainty and probably cuts to the state budget, we knew it was going to be a tough negotiation to secure a contract that allowed us to provide for ourselves and our families,” said David Lynch, President of Local 3295 - Oregon State Hospital Nurses, and a member of the Central Table bargaining team. 

As the bargaining team surveyed members to learn their biggest priorities and concerns, one thing became clear: nearly 60% of workers under the Central Table contract were topped out on the salary schedule. Turnover and vacancy rates across state agencies have skyrocketed in the past few years, leaving workers with unmanageable workloads and unsafe staffing levels in many cases. In order to retain the people who have proven their dedication to serving communities across the state, the bargaining team made it a priority to get a step added to the salary schedule this cycle. 

Another major priority for members was making sure that the state did not attempt to roll out another Workday payroll change without extensive input from workers. The disastrous switch to Workday two years ago led to hundreds of overpayments and underpayments that put many state workers under massive financial strain. “Some of our members lost housing, had to pay late fees on their loan payments, or were forced into debt to cover their bills,” said Christina Sydenstricker-Brown, President of Local 1246 - SACU, and a Central Table bargaining team member. This led to a class-action lawsuit that included all AFSCME-represented state workers, and resulted in a $15M penalty for the state. 

The Central Table bargaining team was able to fight back an attempt to switch to bi-weekly pay during the last bargaining cycle, but the state’s team made it clear that moving to a bi-weekly pay model was a top priority for them this time around. The Central Table team was able to leverage this priority to get the add-step to the salary schedule, as well as a $1,700 one-time payment and 40 extra hours of leave to all state workers to help ease the transition from monthly to bi-weekly pay. They were also able to push the implementation out until mid-2027 and negotiated a committee to ensure that worker voices are heard in the lead-up to implementation. 

State workers represented by AFSCME, SEIU, and OEA held a rally on June 5 to urge lawmakers to prioritize a salary pot that reflected the real needs of workers, and while it did not create any additional funding, workers were able to keep the $300M that allowed them to secure the add-step and strong COLAs. 

Overall, state workers were able to secure a fair contract during a tumultuous time for state agency budgets, including:

• 6.5% COLA increases over the life of the contract
• 4.75% add-step effective in 2027
• $1,700 one-time payment and 40 hours of additional leave (that can be cashed out or used) 30 days before implementation of bi-weekly pay, plus an LOA that ensures workers will be asked for input before the rollout
• Increased differential for those required to work during inclement weather events 
• Improvements to remote work language
• Better communication while folks are on administrative leave or duty stationed at home, aimed at confronting the mental health impact of being on admin leave.
• An addition of 8-hours of bereavement leave per biennium for a coworker’s passing

This contract shows that even in uncertain times, it pays to have a strong union presence in the workplace. When we stand together, we achieve so much more.