TLDR: 17 CGE members attended a meeting with President Ed Ray on 9/10, urging him to initiate bargaining prior to December. An email blitz to administration the following week got an immediate response. Our first bargaining session will be from 12:30-3:30 on Thursday, October 24 at Westminster House. We need as many members and supporters as possible to pack the room!
Update: In September, the bargaining team set out to apply pressure to OSU administration to begin scheduling our bargaining sessions prior to December, which they previously stated was their desired start date. Such a late start historically pushes bargaining into the summer, which is something we want to avoid.
A regularly scheduled meeting with President Ed Ray on September 10 showcased our power in numbers: 17 CGE members filled the room, and our co-lead negotiator Emalydia Flenory skillfully described our position while President Ray conceded that there was nothing “magical” about starting negotiations in November. He promised to get back to us in a week after speaking with OSU administration’s lead negotiator.
One week later, with the help of the Contract Action Team (CAT: learn more and sign up to become a cat here!) we initiated an email blitz that rapidly received a response from both the President and Heather Horn, OSU’s lead negotiator, to schedule our first session in October. When we show our strength in numbers, we win!
First Bargaining Session: That is why it’s so important for you to show up (even for 15 minutes!) between 12:30-3:30 on October 24 at the Westminster House for our first bargaining session, where we will be discussing ground rules and our first round of proposals, including topics of summer security, salary increases, affordable housing, childcare, mandatory and paid training, insurance, and parking.
Testimonies Needed: If any of these issues strongly resonates with you, we are looking for both written and oral testimonies to create a compelling narrative at bargaining sessions about how these issues impact us personally. Fill out this testimony form if you can!
BBB (Burgers, Booze, and Bargaining): Friday, October 11th from 5:00-8:00PM at Lions Shelter in Avery Park. Burgers and beers (and cider) for everyone while we’ll be introducing our 20-person bargaining team to our membership and unveiling the proposals we’ll be submitting to OSU management for Bargaining this fall. Great opportunity to get plugged in and learn about the specific issues we’re trying to improve and what to expect in this year’s bargaining efforts!