Association of Oregon Corrections Employees v. State

**Oregon Corrections Workers Win Partial Victory on Scheduling Changes** This case involved a dispute between Oregon corrections workers and the state Department of Corrections over work schedules. The corrections officers' union claimed the department illegally changed shift start and stop times as well as days off without negotiating with workers first, as required by their labor contract. Initially, the state Employment Relations Board sided with the workers, ruling that the Department of Corrections broke labor law by making these scheduling changes without bargaining. However, the case went to a higher court, which sent it back for further review. The appeals court said the lower board needed to look more carefully at whether management had the right to make these changes unilaterally and whether the union had given up its right to negotiate on these issues. **What This Means for Workers:** This case shows that employers generally cannot make significant changes to work schedules without negotiating with unionized employees first. However, it also highlights that the outcome depends on the specific language in labor contracts about management rights and what topics unions have agreed not to negotiate. Workers should pay close attention to these details when reviewing their contracts.