Oregon violates union contract and labor laws
The Oregon Employment Relations Board decided this month that the state violated the terms of its contract with Service Employees International Union Local 503, the state's largest union.
In 2011, the state broke labor laws in addition to breaking the terms of the union contract when it denied employees the right to discuss union-related matters over email, according to Statesman Journal.
After weighing the group's complaint, the board decided that union workers should be allowed to continue communications via email. While management had a right to control access and protect use of state-owned equipment, as well as a right to ensure that employee time was being spent on work-related activities, email was an important way for employees to communicate about wages, benefits and employment conditions. Especially since union members may work in different offices, email is the primary communication method.
Department of Administrative Services spokesman Matt Shelby said the state was no longer enforcing the email mandate, and that the state will not appeal the board's decision.
In addition to remaining in compliance with union-related labor laws, work places must maintain time attendance records to prevent labor disputes. Depending on collective bargaining agreements, union activities may be compensable under the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to Business and Legal Resources.
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