City workers to hold rally next Monday

City of Eugene workers to hold bargaining rally next Monday

With management still drawing out bargaining, City of Eugene workers represented by AFSCME 1724 are set to hold a bargaining rally 5:15 PM next Monday, Nov. 8, at Kesey Square to further involve the local community in its struggle.

AFSCME 1724, which represents roughly 630 workers across almost all departments at the City of Eugene, began this bargaining period in March. The union was set to bargain for a new contract last year, when the pandemic interrupted negotiations. The last bargaining session the City held was September 15, lasting 16 hours. The City has been pushing hard to make severe hours cuts without protections. The union is standing firm in rejecting this proposal.

Workers say they were blindsided by this proposal of reduction in hours. The City did not let the union know that it was going to bring to the table such an offer, in fact prior to bargaining the City had been parading around that they have not made any cuts to jobs. In recent bargaining with the Eugene/Springfield Fire Department this proposal was not brought up.

The City and workers will now move their bargaining to mediation starting Nov. 15, something the union wanted to start earlier.

Charlie Kirk ends up speaking at golf club in Creswell

TPUSA leader Charlie Kirk brought his “Exposing Critical Racism Tour” to Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell last Wednesday. Originally scheduled at Graduate Hotel in downtown Eugene, then moved to Holiday Inn Express in Springfield, antifascists were able to get the previous event venues to back out of hosting Kirk. It was not until the day of the event that they announced they had found a venue that was comfortable in Kirk giving his fascistic speech there.

Double Sided Media and Left Coast Right Watch put out a report on the event, that hundreds attended. In it they talk about the Proud Boys in attendance and how they intimidated members of Double Sided Media.

Local links

  • Employees at the University of Oregon will now actually have to provide documentation that they are vaccinated due to a federal order for entities that have federal contracts. Previously many employees would be able to just say that they were vaccinated. The university is also now narrowing the options for exemptions to medical and religious, due to the order. Employees must submit proof of vaccination or exemption request by Dec. 6.

  • Six women track and field athletes who competed for the University of Oregon spoke out to The Oregonian about how coaches put an emphasis on their weight that made them feel insecure and at risk of eating disorders.

  • The UO has announced that they will now let instructors know if a student in their class has tested positive for COVID. This is an issue that the GTFF has been pressuring the university about.

  • Creswell is set to appoint a new mayor this week.

  • The controversial proposed quarry near Oakridge is denied due to impact on big game. The decision will likely be appealed

  • Members of the public criticized Eugene Pride’s anti-kink rules at its feedback meeting.

  • Public records show that 4J Board members may have broken public meetings law. The Eugene Weekly says the records show the conversation was quickly stopped, but shows the importance of public records retention.

  • Former EWEB steam plant redevelopment plans evolving to include hotel, doubling price tag

Upcoming events for this week

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