CSO Union Negotiation Date Set for October 14

A bargaining date between Reed and the CSO union has been set for October 14, as reported on behalf of the college by Executive Director of Strategic Communications Sheena McFarland on October 6. The negotiations will take place in person in Portland. Two members of the Security, Police, and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) bargaining team will arrive in Portland on October 13. While these negotiations frequently occur virtually, the SPFPA bargaining team is reportedly excited to see Portland for the first time and has been planning activities during their free time. The union was offered an opportunity to provide comment to the Quest but did not follow up on that offer at the time of printing.

Since the article on the CSO union published on September 11, one additional CSO has resigned due to the updated night shift hours, which include five 8-hour shifts per week instead of four 10-hour shifts. In addition, contract security has been hired to fill shifts from 3–11pm, seven days a week. The contract security officers are employed by Knox/Succor Security and are first aid, CPR, AED, and DPSST trained, according to McFarland. They wear high-vis vests, are only authorized to enter other buildings when assisting a CSO, and are not permitted to enter campus residences.

The role of these officers is to “provide additional support to Community Safety through campus foot patrols, responding to medical emergencies when directed, and assisting Community Safety officers as needed,” according to McFarland. The officers have been trained by Assistant Director of Community Safety Christo Potgieter and appear to be primarily focused on walking around campus, although one officer was observed engaging in a futile attempt to direct the geese around cars in Eliot Circle. The new security presence on campus has reportedly resulted in several calls to the CSO phone number from students, many of whom expressed concern about the lack of communication surrounding their presence. The college has hired and is in the process of training two new CSOs since September 11.

Regarding the reason the college has agreed to bargain with the union, McFarland stated, “the college reviewed the [September 1 NLRB] ruling and its options with legal counsel. While the decision did not address all of the issues Reed raised in its request for review, the college has decided not to pursue a challenge to the NLRB’s ruling.” She added, “Reed respects the outcome of the process and looks forward to engaging in good-faith bargaining with the union.” The two unfair labor practice complaints lodged against the college with the NLRB remain outstanding and are likely to be decided in the coming months as bargaining occurs. The CSOs with whom I have spoken for this piece all wished to remain anonymous but seem in good spirits and hopeful that a collective bargaining agreement will be present in the near future.