Cascade AIDS Project Workers Advance

Tentative agreement was reached today on a compensation reopener at Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) in Portland. Union organizer Molly Malone and the CAP bargaining team –Marc Kochanski, Shyle Ruder, Daniel Schollaert, Chris Kramer and Joseph Sedillo – held firm in pushing for across the board increases (management wanted merit) and achieving substantial wage victories during tough economic times. The bargaining unit pushed management with petitions, members observing bargaining and members reinforcing our arguments away from the table that wage increases should be across the board. Once again workers took action and won when conditions and an organization were in place to help. Workers can win victories even now. The more active and militant, the greater the victory.

Summary of contract changes:

Cost of Living/Base Salary increases: 3% effective July 1, 2010 and 2.5% effective July 1, 2011. The add-ons will also be increased by the same amounts!

Add-Ons: A new one – Justifiable Additional Compensation – up to 10% of an employee’s salary, to help management with recruitment and retention. And, as noted above, add-ons will be increased each year by the COLA amount.

Merit Bonuses: Replacing the old, and seldom-used merit language – this new system would allow management to give one-time merit bonuses based on their performance evaluation, at the end of fiscal years where there is extra money on the books.

Longevity Bonuses: A new system to reward employees who have worked at CAP for 4/8/12 years with extra paid time off. Employees would get an extra 2/4/6 weeks of paid time off at each interval and would have two years to use it. Employees that already work at CAP will be given some credit for time already worked, making some employees eligible for a bonus as soon as 2011.

The union's top priorities going into bargaining were to restore the 1.5% pay cut from last year and get across-the-board raises for all employees. Thanks to the great work of the bargaining team and worker action and involvement--they won! Great job everyone!