September 12, 2025 Update

We have been in bargaining for 9 months now, with 3 months of preparation prior to that – so a whole year! Bargaining is very much a marathon and not a sprint. We are down to just a couple of articles out of the many that were opened. Bargaining has been challenging with the ODOT budget crisis, layoffs, and the continued uncertainty has been hard. But over the last couple of weeks, we keep hoping we will cross that finish line! We are close enough to see it!

For those that followed SEIU bargaining- you know they finished a while ago. They accepted some language around pay equity and structural pay practices we weren’t comfortable with and didn’t work within our current contract language. The State’s proposed pay equity language in our salary administration article has given us problems as we want to make sure it is fair, as pay is the basis for everything we do at work.

We have come to tentative agreements on articles from boot allowances, outwear, and high work differential to work schedules and reclassifications. Interim bargaining between 2023-2025 for leadwork and underfills have been added to the contract. In total 46 articles and Letters of Agreement were passed between parties. Some resulted in minor updates, current contract language, major changes, or did not make it to the finish line (withdrawn). We will begin working on a summary to send out once we reach tentative agreement with the State on the contract. Once we reach a contract tentative agreement, we will let you all know and to be on the lookout for the ratification vote.

Remember you must be an active dues paying member to vote on the contract. If you are not sure if you are an active member, check your paystub under “Employee Post Tax Deductions” for the Union Dues line. You can sign up to be an active member using AEE's membership application located here. Please submit to the AEE Office via your state email address.

Thank you for your continued support through the last few difficult months, and through the year of bargaining. Bargaining the contract is one of the primary functions of AEE and one of the things your dues cover. We thank the bargaining team (and their coworkers for covering for them while they are at bargaining) for the long days over the year.

In Unity,

AEE Bargaining Team