Bargaining Update, May 2025

Greetings, NSLU!

The Bargaining Committee met with the company on May 29th, presented them with your overwhelming rejection of the company’s attendance offer, and reached a Tentative Agreement on nine new contract articles.

With 84% of votes rejecting the Company’s final attendance offer, you showed the company that we stand united in demanding better. The Bargaining Committee has proposed a threshold of 21 points within our attendance article, with clear protections for extenuating circumstances, and notice to members of any accumulated points pursuant to an attendance violation. The Company is required to continue bargaining with us over the attendance policy. 

This show of strength, combined with a patient strategy from the Bargaining Committee, allowed us to push through a new article protecting immigrant members. 

We came out of the session with nine new Tentative Agreements, including:

• Staff Discount, 401k, Trimet Pass, Hazardous Conditions: Remains the same as current conditions.

• Union Leaves: Allows union reps to take leave to attend to union business. 

• Blue Slip: Conceded to match practice at Williams, Arbor Lodge and University Park to all scan out blue slip. 

• Holidays: Adds one new personal paid holiday for each member. Existing holidays preserved.

• Leaves: Keeps paid jury duty leave, two weeks of bereavement leave, and an option for 60 days of unpaid leave after one year of employment.

• Work Authorization and Immigration Enforcement:  Minimizes Company cooperation with ICE, includes requiring a warrant and notifying NSLU of raids or subpoenas.

These nine articles will be added to the existing Tentative Agreements, bringing our total to 23 articles. Membership will vote whether to ratify all of the Tentative Agreements at the end of bargaining. We are still demanding further improvement on Wages, PTO, Health Insurance, Management Rights,

Bargaining Unit Work, Hours of Work, and a response on Existing Conditions. 

Additionally, at the end of the session, the Bargaining Committee noted to the company that the Portland Metro Area minimum wage will increase to $16.30 on July 1st, higher than the current starting wage offered at New Seasons. We intend to meet with the company prior to these changes to bargain a plan for implementation that benefits all workers at New Seasons. 

Our next bargaining session is Thursday, June 26th. Sign up to observe at nslu.org/observe See you there!