Testimonials
“Our negotiations with [Chris] was the best out of all the negotiation cycles I participated in. We received the best wage increases we ever had, improved our vacation accruals, improved and expanded our longevity pay, and more. We got nearly everything we asked for!”
— Heidi Davis
“Chris had a large and challenging assignment when he was with Oregon AFSCME. Twelve bargaining units meant he was constantly in negotiations while having to navigate the many personalities within his assignment on a consistent basis. His experience allowed him to tackle his assignment effectively and independently, which was beyond valuable as his program manager.
Not only was he often engaged in negotiations – even bargaining multiple tables at a time – he also found the time to organize a couple residual units, train members on steward roles and leadership, develop and deliver trainings, inspire members to engage in the union’s political program, and so much more. Chris worked great with members, and it showed by their engagement.”
— Jade McCredy, Program Manager, Oregon AFSCME
“As a Union Local President, you work most closely with your Council Representative. The strength of that relationship is a large part of the foundation necessary for representing employees.
I worked with Chris for nearly four years, with contract negotiations occurring towards the end of our time together. I have been through bargaining 3 times in my tenure as President and our team’s experience with Chris was the most successful to date.
He provided organization, coaching, and support enabling the team to navigate the process and make strong decisions in order to best represent members. His preparation, and therefore ours, allowed us to negotiate one of the best contracts to date. Chris was invaluable to our success.”
— Erin O’Connell, President, AFSCME Local 1442
“Chris served our Local for nearly four years, and these were particularly uncertain and transitional times for our Agency. During these years, Chris led our negotiation tables for two cycles. I was grateful for his expertise, and pleased with the outcome of those negotiations.
Our Local consists of three bargaining units, and one of the things Chris did that I thought was valuable was to persuade management to combine the three bargaining units into one bargaining table. This allowed the three bargaining teams to have a united voice on common issues, share information together, and for each unit to find support in the others as negotiations progressed. The benefits of this move compounded outside of negotiations, and by bringing us together, Chris ultimately left our Local more united than when he arrived.
Throughout my time as president of the Local, Chris was a steady source of guidance and support for me.”
— Sara Werboff, Former President, AFSCME Local 2435
“…one of the things Chris did that I thought was valuable was to persuade management to combine the three bargaining units into one bargaining table…The benefits of this move compounded outside of negotiations, and by bringing us together, Chris ultimately left our Local more united than when he arrived.”
— Sara Werboff
“When I was president of my local, Chris was my union rep. He taught me everything I know about bargaining. We negotiated two record-high pay increases and the right to strike mid-contract. My members were tough customers (mostly attorneys), yet membership was near 100% under Chris. He guided us through dark hours with a patience we rarely deserved. I now work as a union attorney because of him. Like many workers, I owe a lot to Chris Stout.”
— Lee Wachocki, Staff Attorney, Oregon AFSCME & Former President, AFSCME Local 2805
“I served as our Local’s President for over a decade, and I loved working with Chris. Our negotiations with him was the best out of all the negotiation cycles I participated in. We received the best wage increases we ever had, improved our vacation accruals, improved and expanded our longevity pay, and more. We got nearly everything we asked for!
Chris was always professional, worked great with the team, was always prepared and offered guidance through complex situations. Chris was always available when I needed to talk to him. When we weren’t in negotiations, Chris was also a great resource, helping me file grievances and negotiate interim agreements as issues came up. I’m glad we had Chris for several years, as he played an invaluable role while he was here. His knowledge of labor law, prompt response time and quick thinking served our Local well.”
— Heidi Davis, Former President, AFSCME Local 1789
“I had the pleasure of working with Chris as a shop steward negotiating a collective bargaining agreement. Chris went above and beyond to help solicit input from members, fine-tune proposals and craft a bargaining strategy that resulted in the best contract our unit had ever received.
If you’re looking for someone who will fight for members as intently as he listens to them – you’ll want Chris Stout on your side of the table.”
— Guy Marzorati, SAG-AFTRA Broadcast Steering Committee Member & SAG-AFTRA Shop Steward at KQED
“I’ve never seen a union go from burned and demoralized to over 90% participating in a strike in just a few short months until working with Chris…Chris found real leaders and built a CAT team from scratch, and when the time came to bring a fierce fight, this CAT team brought nearly everyone to the strikeline.”
— Kim Carter Martinez
“I’ve never seen a union go from burned and demoralized to over 90% participating in a strike in just a few short months until working with Chris. We were working on a contract campaign covering a unit of about 1000 workers, and our team rocked it. Chris played an invaluable and essential role in making that happen. I watched him take this new and incredibly difficult assignment, go from worksite to worksite, letting workers yell at him and complain, unloading years of frustrations on him, and each time he calmly and effectively redirected all that energy into hope and new possibilities for the contract campaign. With this new hope, Chris found real leaders and built a CAT team from scratch, and when the time came to bring a fierce fight, this CAT team brought nearly everyone to the strikeline. I’m glad Chris was part of the team, because that campaign is a career highlight I’ll never forget!”
— Kim Carter Martinez, Organizing Director-Northern California, California Faculty Association