State of Oregon temp workers vote for union

By an overwhelming margin, some 600 temporary workers employed by the State of Oregon voted May 11 to join the Oregon Public Employees Union (OPEU).

Given the chance to unionize by a ruling of the Oregon Employment Relations Board, 96.3 percent of the temps said "yes" to the union.

OPEU organizer Steven Ward said the election is the first time temps working for any state government have had the opportunity to join a union.

Union organizers predict this victory will give encouragement to other temp-organizing efforts, like the so-called "perma-temps" at Microsoft. Workers there have formed a quasi-union affiliation with the Communication Workers of America.

OPEU tried but failed to win representation for the State of Oregon's temps at the bargaining table in 1998. So the union's staff and volunteer organizers went out and organized them, and filed for election.

It took the Employment Relations Board (the state agency that governs union elections of public workers) nine months to determine that the temps should be added to the existing bargaining unit of state workers rather than placed in their own bargaining unit.

Currently, state temps make the same wage as other state workers in their classifications, but have no benefits whatsoever. Temp workers involved in the union say they want benefits, union workplace rights, and the opportunity to get permanent positions when they become available.

Bargaining for the temps began almost immediately.

OPEU has been in contract negotiations with the state since January. The current contract expires at the end of June.