Admin Calls for Mediation
Our bargaining session on December 5 shifted the dynamic of our contract negotiations moving forward, as the administration’s team announced they intended to file for state mediation. They chose to send this announcement over email rather than facing our members in person—who packed the EMU Crater Lake rooms after rallying, marching through the EMU, and making our voices heard across the campus.
After minor discussion on the few proposals left for our side, the administration presented Article 26: Salary packaged into a deal with Article 28: Miscellaneous Benefits and Article 33: Sabbatical. A package offer means that all the specific proposals in each article are contingent upon an agreement to the entire package.
Although the administration claimed to be making significant movement, their offer was a mere 1% higher in the first year for the across-the-board (ATB) raises than their previous offer, and they maintained their proposal of 3% merit raises for select faculty in years 2-3, with no equity considerations:
| Year 1 ATB: 8.5% Year 2 ATB: 3.62% Year 3 ATB: 3.4% |
Year 2 External Equity: 2.44% Year 2 Internal Equity: 2.44% |
Year 3 Merit: 5.10% |
| Year 1 ATB: 4% Year 2 ATB: 0% Year 3 ATB: 0% |
Year 1 Equity: 0% Year 2 Equity: 0% Year 3 Equity: 0% |
Year 1 Merit: 0% Year 2 Merit: 3% Year 3 Merit: 3% |
In other words, the administration continues to propose an effective pay cut for most faculty, meaning they expect us to absorb the diminishing value of our labor rather than be fairly compensated following historic inflation and our key support throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We reminded the admin that 28% of our bargaining unit members currently make less than $50,000 a year, and that budgets reflect priorities.
After 20 bargaining sessions, it has become clear that President Scholz is unwilling to give us the contract we deserve without immense pressure. Although we have presented compelling research, logical arguments, numbers, and data at every session, the administration has failed to bring us a deal that reflects our peer average or the needs of our unit and continues to ask us to endure the consequences of their budgetary decisions.
What happens after mediation begins?
We are in the process of scheduling dates with a third-party mediator from the state Employment Relations Board (ERB). When we return in the Winter Term, bargaining sessions will be closed to anyone not on the Bargaining Teams.
In this new phase of the Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act’s legal bargaining timeline, the mediator will encourage both teams to make concessions in order to reach an agreement. Mediation proposals are also more tentative, and mediation proposals are considered non-binding. So, either side can potentially make and retract offers until there is a signed Tentative Agreement on the whole article.
Per ORS 243.712(2), “If the parties have not reached an agreement within 15 days of the first mediation session, the parties may either continue in mediation or either party may declare an impasse”. After that, each party has 7 days to submit a public “last best” offer and a cost summary to the ERB. Both sides will continue negotiating after these offers until there is a deal.
After public offers are declared, there is a mandatory 30-day “cooling off” period before the administration gains the right to impose their final offer upon us. At that point, we also gain the right to withhold our labor in a protected strike. Neither side is obligated to take such action, and in any event, we will continue negotiating until we reach a deal.
For more details, see our Strike FAQ
What are our next steps as a membership?
Keep an eye out for more info on how our Bargaining Team will communicate about negotiations during mediation, and please join our members-only Slack channel to access committee workspaces and general updates. We will also hold a General Membership Meeting in Winter Term to build consensus about next steps.
We know that SEIU and GTFF had to build credible strike threats with a supermajority of participation in order to win their contracts last year, and UOSW is also headed to mediation on a similar timeline to our own. At this stage of bargaining, it is important for all of us to have serious conversations with each other about what we need, and what we are collectively willing to do to win it. So, please talk to your coworkers about our contract fight and ask them to join our union if they aren’t already UA members.
Many of us have questions about what will happen next, and together we can build solutions to the challenges we face. For now, our Strike FAQ has basic questions and answers, and your Officers, Stewards, and Representatives are always here to talk. Reach out to [email protected] if you’d like a UA leader to attend a meeting with your department!
Here are some other ways you can get/stay engaged moving forward;
- Sign up for UA Member Texts. We promise not to spam you with texts, and you can unsubscribe if you choose!
- Join our Member Slack. This is a member message board where you can ask questions about our proposals, our economic analysis, or provide input on what you need to flourish. It is a space for members to join in solidarity, share ideas, and support each other.
- Read and share our Bargaining & Strike FAQ.
- Join the Contract Action Team. The CAT works to support the bargaining team by organizing actions, talking to members, and preparing for a potential strike. We will need all the help we can get if we have to go down the road of a strike. To join the CAT, contact [email protected].
- Become a steward for your department and help us ensure the members in your unit are informed and activated. Contact our Chair of Organizing and Membership, Edward Davis ([email protected]) or Chair of the Representative Assembly, Kathleen Freeman ([email protected]).
- Schedule someone from the Bargaining Team or Executive Council to come and speak to your unit by emailing [email protected]. We have met with many departments across campus to answer questions, hear concerns, and let our colleagues know the status of bargaining and/or potential strike timelines.