5.15 & 5.18 Bargaining Update: Leaves, Compensation, Benefits & More

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SUBMIT YOUR LETTER CALLING FOR A FAIR CONTRACT

BARGAINING UPDATE

REGISTER FOR MAY 22 BARGAINING SESSION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The UAOSU bargaining team and the administration team met 2:30–3:30 on Friday, May 15 and 12–1 on Monday, May 18 on Zoom. Both sessions focused largely on the administration’s proposal to preemptively authorize faculty salary reductions.

The administration’s proposal demanded up to 20% salary reductions triggered by as little as a 1.3% drop in net tuition revenue, with no other connection between the size of the drop in revenue and the size of salary reductions. Furthermore, their proposal had no job stability protections to avoid non-renewals of faculty on fixed-term appointments.

We reiterated our willingness to engage in future negotiations around faculty salary reductions, but cannot agree to a quickly drawn plan when so much about the coming financial circumstances remains unknown. We cannot accept the administration’s vague outlines for how these reductions would be implemented. Faced with the same uncertainties in enrollment and state funding, no other Oregon faculty union has accepted preemptive salary reductions while forfeiting their right to negotiate. We don’t intend to do so, either.

Above all, we cannot accept these potential pay reductions without firm guarantees to protect faculty positions. Our response to the administration’s proposal seeks to secure job stability for faculty awaiting renewal decisions and commits to negotiating over necessary pay reductions as soon as the administration is willing and there is sufficient information to do so in a deliberate and informed way.  

We hope to wrap up negotiations on the main collective bargaining agreement in the next few weeks. Please look forward to a survey and other opportunities to inform our negotiations around potential salary reductions and the conditions of a return to in-person work.

SUBMIT YOUR LETTER CALLING FOR A FAIR CONTRACT

As we enter the final phases of negotiations on topics like Compensation, Benefits, Research Support and Family Leave, we can all play a role in showing our unity as we make our final push. We are sending email letters to President Ray, Provost Feser and the Board of Trustees letting them know that now is the time to reach a fair agreement with us.

Add your voice to the chorus and send a letter to OSU leadership telling them that it’s time to finalize a contract that values our commitment to students. The administration needs to hear from you — your message makes a difference!

BARGAINING UPDATE

In the course of these two sessions, we exchanged a number of articles. We continue to believe we are getting close to reaching an agreement on the full contract, but we need to see movement in key areas, including paid family and medical leave, before we are ready to submit this contract to the UAOSU membership for ratification. Catch up on the details of our proposals below.

May 15 Session

May 18 Session

Our website provides a table with links to all proposals exchanged in the course of our negotiations.

REGISTER FOR MAY 22 BARGAINING SESSION

The next bargaining session is 10–2 on Friday, May 22 on Zoom (Register Here). The administration has committed to bringing responses to the major outstanding articles (Research Support & Scholarship; Benefits; Leaves; and Compensation), and we hope to return a counter on all of these during the session. Even if you can only drop by for half an hour, your attendance matters: show the administration that faculty are watching this process. As we draw closer to an agreement, we need your support to secure meaningful paid family and medical leave and protect against preemptive salary cuts!

OSU Aspiring Educators support a fair contract, read their letter of support addressed to Ed Ray on Facebook and Twitter!

We appreciate your support. You can find a full calendar of Spring Term bargaining sessions on our website.

In solidarity,

Your bargaining team

Categories: bargaining