Members of the OHSU and House Officers Union (HOU) bargaining teams met in person on Thursday, Aug. 31, for their fourth collective bargaining session. Several proposals and counterproposals were shared by the teams, and four tentative agreements were reached.

Additionally, the teams agreed to meet each Thursday, with the exceptions of Sept. 14 and Thanksgiving, until a final agreement is reached.

OHSU proposals

• New article 2.1.4 Incoming House Officers: OHSU will provide HOU with the email addresses of incoming House Officers annually in June.
• Article 4.4 Uniforms: Clarify that House Officers may opt out of receiving labeled scrubs and removing outdated language about laundering.
• New article 4.6.1 Call Rooms: For GME-maintained call rooms, OHSU will have door signs indicating whether a room is in use and will make available clean linens.
• Article 5.5 Work-Required Expenses: Clarifying that the employer’s reimbursement and related policies apply to reimbursements for work-required expenses.
• Article 5.6 Education and Professional Development: Transitioning the education and professional development reimbursement under Article 5.6 to an annual stipend of $750.
• New 7.1.2: Programs will make available to House Officers at their end of year review an accounting of time away.
• Article 7.3 Professional Leave: Add new language allowing current professional leave days to be used for interviews for fellowships and jobs.
• New article 7.X.X: New language recognizing that additional leaves may be available under law and/or GME policy.
• Article 11.2.1 Non-Grievable Disputes: Proposed retaining current contract language for non-grievable disputes.

HOU proposals

• Article 4.2: Proposed rolling the existing letter of agreement on Moonlighting into the contract, along with additional requirements related to pay dates and posting available moonlighting opportunities
• New 7.1.1: Create a new requirement that programs provide House Officers annually, by email, program requirements detailing the amount of time away that may be utilized during a program without an extension.
• Article 4.7 Access to Paging Systems: Adding a new option for House Officers to receive a monthly stipend for personal cellphone use if they choose to not accept an OHSU cellphone; providing replacement devices at no cost to the House Officer if a device is damaged, stolen, or lost; allowing devices to be turned in every two years for a new device; and creating a requirement that lost cellphones be routed to ITG rather than lost and found.

Tentative agreements

• New article 2.1.4: OHSU will provide HOU with the email addresses of incoming House Officers by June 1.
• New article 4.6.1: For GME-maintained call rooms, OHSU will have door signs indicating whether a room is in use and will make available clean linens in close proximity. All call rooms shall be serviced at least daily.
• New article 7.X.X:New language recognizing that additional leaves may be available under law and/or GME policy.
• Article 11.2.1 Non-Grievable Disputes: Agree to continue current contract language relating to non grievable disputes. 

Next meeting

The OHSU and HOU teams will next meet Thursday, Sept. 7.