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Greetings, We are writing as representatives of the Executive Council of United Academics of the University of Oregon (UA). UA is the exclusive union representative of faculty at the University of Oregon. As faculty representatives, stewards, and leaders, we work every day to improve our university and the state of higher education in Oregon. We are writing today to update you on the status of our negotiations with the administration for our fourth full Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). While there has been quite a bit of progress on certain articles of the CBA with give and take from both faculty…

Bargaining Update for August 13 Your United Academics bargaining team met again with the administration’s team last Tuesday. While we continue to make progress on several non-economic issues, the administration’s intransigence on faculty salaries is becoming increasingly clear. The administration returned Article 26 – Salary to us. Once again, they have not moved from their initial offer of 3% raise pools for each of the next three years. Of course, given that inflation has hovered around 3.3% for the past year, their offer represents a pay cut in real terms, on top of the real losses faculty have experienced throughout the pandemic. Despite expressing an…

Bargaining update for July 2, 2024 We hope that everyone is enjoying their summer, whatever that may entail for you and yours.  Though there is a bit of a lull on campus, your bargaining team will continue to meet with the administration throughout the summer. Please remain engaged to help us secure a dignified contract. Attend sessions when able! Thank you for your presence in the room, showing the united support of our faculty, even in the summer months. Our next session is on Monday, July 15 from 12:30-3:30 pm in Lilis 440 [a different location than usual].We met with…

BargainingJoin us tomorrow, Tuesday, July 2, for our first bargaining session of the summer. We’ll meet in Chiles 125 from 1:30-4:30pm. If you can’t make it in person, Zoom in here. Please note the change in timing from our usual schedule.Will the administration team bring a counterproposal on Article 26: Salary? Only one way to find out! Your team will bring counters that touch on Career faculty job security, pro tem employment, unit policies, and leaves.Let’s keep up the momentum we built during the academic year! And make sure your calendar is marked for these upcoming sessions: Monday, July 15…

Your bargaining team recently met with the administration on June 13th. Thank you to everyone who turned out! It was a lively time. There was even an impromptu singalong of union solidarity songs courtesy of UA’s Vice President of Diversity & Equity, Ed Wolf of SOMD. Enthusiastic members filled the bargaining room and showed up on Zoom. We estimate that 150 faculty members showed up at some point. Your presence was felt by the administration team as well as your bargaining team! As a reminder, we will be having bargaining sessions throughout the summer, so please consider joining in person if…

Our last bargaining session of the term is Thursday, June 13, 12:30-3:30 in Chiles 125 (and via Zoom). We need a big turnout to help us avert a strike.  This will be our tenth session and we continue to make good progress on many of our non-economic proposals (currently 7 articles have been tentatively agreed upon and a few more are almost there). However, the administration’s refusal to make significant movement on our economic provisions does not bode well for the future. We will present our counter to Article 26 (Salary) on Thursday and want to engage the administration on…

Strike? If you have been following bargaining, you know that we are likely headed towards a strike. While we have made progress on many non-economic articles, the administration is steadfast in their refusal to offer raises remotely close to what is necessary to address inflation and maintain parity with our AAU comparators.A strike cannot happen overnight; there are legally imposed timelines, and a number of additional bargaining sessions required before we get to that point (think mid-Fall at the earliest). There also will not be a strike without a vote of the UA membership. If we strike, this will be…

Strike Next Year? While we are making good progress on non-economic articles at the bargaining table, the administration has made only minor movements towards our salary needs. Soon we will send another message about the very real possibility of a strike next academic year. Many steps must be taken before such an action can happen, but the raises on offer from the administration are nowhere near enough to fight inflation and keep us up with our peers. Keep an eye on your inbox for more messaging around potential strike preparations, and what United Academics members will need to do to…

Come celebrate the academic year with your UA friends, old and new!On Thursday, May 30, we’re having our annual Spring Picnic from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at Alton Baker Park Shelter #2. Bring your family out for a day in the park and celebrate with colleagues, some food, and some fun. The details:When: Thursday, May 30, from 4 to 7 pmWhere: Alton Baker Park Shelter #2What to bring: You, family members, colleagues, and friendly dogs!We’ll provide snacks, beverages (alcoholic and non-), and a few lawn games. So, mark your calendars for the United Academics Spring Picnic! We look forward to seeing…

Bargaining update for May 16, 2024 Your bargaining team met with the administration last Thursday and presented several counters (Articles 4, 9, 11, 12, 16, and Distinguished Teaching Professor) as did the administration (Articles 6, 13, 15, and 26).  Please see our bargaining webpage to examine the details of each proposal.We are excited to be making good progress on a number of important issues, including grievance and review processes.  We have also managed to derail the administration’s attempt to claw back important provisions related to joint labor management (union releases and information requests) and the ability to refuse scab labor. …

Bargaining update for May 2 The administration has been slow to respond to our salary proposal, but we hope to see their response on Thursday. Come to bargaining from 12:45-3:30 in Chiles 125 (or Zoom) and help support your bargaining team. As a reminder to members, our salary proposal is based on an economic analysis of faculty salaries, comparator institutions and economic data about inflation; our bargaining strategy is not to bicker back and forth until we meet in the middle, but to say “this is what we the faculty need to be excellent” and to stand by that proposal. In…

Know Your Rights as Faculty: Protest, Free Speech, and Academic Freedom Over the last few weeks, we have seen a wave of student protests on campuses across the country against U.S. support for the war on Gaza. Many faculty at these universities have acted in solidarity with student protesters, either through public speaking, addressing the topic in their classes, signing petitions, contributing resources to encampments, joining the camps, interposing themselves between police and students, and in a few cases being arrested with students when camps have been swept by police. Increasingly, these protest encampments are being met with a militarized…

In light of the protests nationwide and at UO, the Executive Council of United Academics of the University of Oregon endorses the following statement by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). UA is affiliated with both the AAUP and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). UA will be issuing further information for faculty regarding their rights in the next several days; please contact us if you have questions about academic freedom or your rights regarding the campus protests. The AAUP and its chapters defend the right to free speech and peaceful protest on university campuses, condemn the militarized response by…

Unit Policy Process and Timeline Over recent months, units across campus have worked to craft and approve policies for Professional Responsibilities and the Peer Review of Teaching. Faculty have been invited and encouraged by the administration to engage in this revision process, and have done so thoughtfully and in good faith. The current step in the process is for the respective deans or vice presidents to review these policies and decide whether to make any changes before forwarding their versions (if changed), along with the faculty-approved policies, to the Office of the Provost by June 15.  Final approval by the…

The United Academics bargaining team had another productive session at the table last Thursday.  Your team presented its salary counter with some very minor movement on United Academic’s part.  The administration had proposed three years of merit raises of 3 percent each year, which would exclude hundreds of our bargaining unit members from raises over the course of the contract.  In addition to merit raises, we reasserted our language with across-the-board and equity raises, and proposed a total of 9.18% increases every year through a combination of these approaches.  With this increase, faculty salaries, which currently sit at 84% of…

Thank you to all who attended the last round of bargaining. We bargain again on Thursday, April 18, from 12:30-3:30 in Chiles 125. Your presence is important because it shows that faculty are engaged and paying attention to bargaining. We will present a counter to the administration’s salary proposal, so we encourage all members interested in their economic situation to attend. As a reminder you can come and go, do work on your laptop, each lunch, etc. Your bargaining team met with the administration team again last Thursday and we had some productive conversations.  We were pleased that we managed…

Admin wants to take their failed financial planning out of your paycheck United Academics is back at the bargaining table this week, Thursday April 4, from 12:30-3:30 in Chiles 125. Come out and support your bargaining team! The administration has promised to walk us through their lackluster salary proposal which fails to keep up with inflation, puts us farther behind our comparators, and excludes raises for many of the faculty in your bargaining unit. Let’s pack the room again! Your presence in the Zoom also makes a difference, but in-person sends a stronger message! The inflationary environment is not news,…

Thanks to everyone who came out on Thursday for the bargaining session. Save the dates and keep showing up! Spring term bargaining sessions will be held on odd weeks from 12:30-3:30 in Chiles 125. In our first session after the break (April 4, 12:30-3:30 in Chiles 125) we will speak more specifically to the administration’s salary proposal. We need you to be there to show the administration that faculty will not accept raises that signify an actual cut in pay for most, and that excludes large groups from the entire process. The administration seems less concerned about solving actual problems our…

Bargaining This Thursday! We packed the room during our last bargaining session–thank you, those of you who came in person or watched via Zoom. Let’s do it again this Thursday, March 14 (Chiles 125, 12:30 to 3:30)! It is possible that administration will present their counter to Article 26: Salary, so stop by (or come and go) as you have time. We will respond with a counterproposal to Article 41: No Strike, No Lockout in which the administration wants the ability to replace striking employees with your labor. If you think being forced to cover the labor of striking student…

Greetings, dear colleagues, Although the negotiations for our new contract have begun, important items from our current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) remain in process or yet to be implemented. In the CBA the membership of United Academics ratified in July 2022, we agreed with the administration that units need to update their policies to reflect significant changes in the CBA and to address several concerns, including course loads and equity in service assignments. The deadline for these changes is coming up. This email thus reiterates, updates, and adds to a communication I sent in January 2023 on the subject of…

Thursday is the day! We need a strong turnout this Thursday, 12:30-3:30 in Chiles 125, as the UA Bargaining Team presents our economic package to the administration. Our Article 26: Salary represents a significant increase to faculty pay through across-the-board, merit, and equity raises, as well as promotion increases. The UA Economics Team will present information showing where faculty salaries at the University of Oregon stand in regard to our comparator institutions and our plan to bring faculty salaries up to competitive levels.  We will present a few other articles (Article 21: Review Decision Appeals, Article 34: Caregiving), pose questions regarding…

United Academics is holding elections for six officer positions this year, with nominations due by March 22, 2024. All members in good standing* are eligible to serve as officers and to nominate other members in good standing. Self-nominations are also permitted. If you’re interested in running, current council members will happily talk with you and answer your questions. As always, you can contact UA staff with any questions at [email protected]. Open positions: The Executive Council (EC) is the primary leadership body of United Academics with a focus on initiating, overseeing, or revising the program of your union. The positions that are…

Dear Colleague: At our next bargaining session, we will be presenting our economic proposals—including our proposed raise package to battle inflation, internal and external inequities, and put us back on par with our AAU competitors. We need your support! The more people we have in the room cheering on the bargaining team the more pressure we put on the administration, and as we saw with GTFF bargaining, this can have a real impact on what the administration offers and what we ultimately accept. Come by Chiles 125 on Thursday, February 29, anytime between 12:30 and 3:30 to support the bargaining…

Your bargaining team met with the administration for our first bargaining session last Thursday. It was an amicable encounter and began with the typical niceties that characterize initial sessions. Your bargaining team brought eight articles and the administration brought one. We look to strengthen shared governance through proposals in Articles 3: Shared Governance and 4: Unit Level Policies. With our addition to Article 6: Policies and Practices, we want to ensure that faculty are made aware of policies implemented across the administrative hierarchy that ultimately affect their working conditions. Our proposal in Article 8: Personnel Files aims to ensure the…

Bargaining will begin this Thursday, February 1! We hope that many of you can make the time to attend. Hopefully, you can do so in person, but a remote option is also available. The support and presence of our faculty at bargaining sessions sends a powerful signal that faculty are engaged and paying attention. In this round of bargaining, we will propose significant salary increases, expanded support services and changes that aim to increase transparency in processes related to review, hiring, and reclassification.  As always, we wish to strengthen shared governance that emphasizes the autonomy of departments and units. As…

New tentative agreement reached for the GTFF United Academics would like to congratulate our union siblings at the GTFF on their historic tentative agreement with the University of Oregon.  We are thoroughly impressed with the amount of work their members put in to guarantee this win for all of their bargaining unit. To quote the GTFF, “Although this TA halts our strike plans, it is a testament to the enormous amount of energy, preparation, and passion that our members have devoted to building a credible strike threat. Our members put all of their power into this fight, and we won.”…

Greetings, colleagues. As you likely have heard, the GTFF has declared an Intent to Strike starting Wednesday, January 17, 2024. An Intent to Strike is the last official requirement before a legal strike can occur. While there will be another bargaining session on January 11, all signs point to a strike. We outline some basics for faculty in this email; more can be found on UA’s digital newsletter, The Duck & Cover. If you have any questions about expectations, feel pressured to perform additional labor, or just want to know what you can and cannot say to GEs or undergraduates,…

The GTFF and the administration had another mediation session on November 30. We are encouraged by the administration’s movement on their economic package, but it still does not equate to a living wage in Eugene for many graduate employees. The GTFF could still declare an intent to strike with 10 days’ notice at any time, and both teams have agreed to meet again in early January. If you are interested in the current state of GTFF bargaining, you can find additional information on their bargaining webpage. On November 29, The UO Senate passed a Resolution calling for a quick resolution…

In the Spring of 2023, the United Academics’ Caucuses sent a collective letter to the upper administration detailing issues with the IDEAL Campus Climate Survey response. We received a short reply saying they will report on all the work they have completed and recognized they need to communicate their efforts better. On October 13, 2023, we sent a follow-up email reminding now President Scholz and Interim Provost Woodruff-Borden, and while they did reply, we still await a response to our specific suggestions to improve our poor campus climate: Establish a formal office to deal with intersectional inequities and discrimination. Create…

On Conversations with GEs in the run-up to a potential GTFF strike Several faculty members have asked us what conversations they may and may not have with graduate employees during (and in the run up to) a strike. Individual GEs may want to talk with you about the strike and how you can help avoid or end it. Some have suggested that these types of conversations are illegal. We have talked with our labor attorney, and we believe this suggestion is incorrect. Supervisors are not allowed to engage their employees in contract negotiations; the negotiations take place at the bargaining…

Why are our grads thinking about striking? In the last year graduate students around the country have gone on strike, resulting in significant wage increases, among other wins. These wins, together with an inflationary economy and increasing support for unions from the public, have not only driven graduate unions towards more strident labor actions, but have also reset expectations around compensation and benefits for graduate employees nationwide—check out the GTFF’s masterful analysis of grad wages at peer institutions. Examples from other institutions: At Rutgers, striking graduate workers won raises, bringing their salary up from around $30,000 in the first year…

United Academics leadership has been made aware of many pay-related issues faculty have experienced over the last several months and has pushed the administration to resolve these issues quickly. We have also begun conversations about how the administration can ensure these concerns are not ongoing, and how research-related impacts, in particular, will be accounted for. In a recent meeting, administration representatives requested specific examples of these issues to investigate where the breakdowns are happening. If you are willing to self-report any pay issues you have experienced, please fill out this short form. We will pass these along to administration, so only…

Greetings, my excellent colleagues! It is a delight to begin a new academic year together with you at the University of Oregon. Meeting our new university president, greeting newly arrived colleagues at new faculty orientation, helping new students move into dorms with Unpack the Quack, tabling at Friday night’s Flock Party at Hayward Field, and teaching my first class session of the year have been incredibly energizing and restorative. College is such a magical, transformative time in the lives of our students, and it’s wonderful to be a part of that. This year will have more than its share of…

Dear Colleagues, As many of you know, the Office of the Provost is asking units to prepare for the possibility of a Graduate Employee (GE) strike as part of an “Academic Continuity Plan.” To help you with planning, this email provides some information concerning the expectations and obligations of faculty members should a strike occur. Our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) obliges faculty to consult with the University, if requested, concerning how work performed by a striking employee will be covered. However, nothing in the CBA requires faculty to cover for striking workers. Faculty are only required to consult on how…

We’re concerned about academic freedom. Union members have identified a number of priorities for our upcoming round of bargaining starting next January. Issues of academic freedom are our second highest priority, trailing only salaries as the top concern. We’ve identified the need to remain vigilant to ensure that the growing national trend to undermine tenure protections, dictate suitable research and teaching topics, and pack governing boards with extremist political agendas does not happen here in Oregon. We’re aware of the threat in Oregon. No state is immune from the current political upheavals. Although Florida and Texas have made the most…

Dear Interim President Moffitt and Interim Provost Woodruff-Borden, We, the United Academics Faculty of Color, Working Families, and Pride Caucuses, are writing to address the IDEAL climate survey and the steps taken in response to it. We are concerned with the approach taken to date, particularly with the messaging that the bulk of the work will fall to the faculty themselves, who, as noted in the survey, already feel overburdened. We believe some issues are crucial enough that they can’t wait. As you know, on June 4, 2022, faculty received our first communication addressing the results of the survey, which…

This month, United Academics kicks off its celebration of ten years of being union strong! While we’re excited to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our first Collective Bargaining Agreement’s ratification in October 2023, we know there is still work to be done. In the last Collective Bargaining Agreement, we secured 10% raises over the three years of the contract. This included the first year’s across-the-board raise of 5%, a 2% across-the-board raise the following year, and a 3% merit pool to be distributed in January 2024. The ratification vote on our salary package passed with 95% of the vote in…

United Academics Outstanding Contributions Awards Information United Academics has established awards for outstanding contributions to the university community. Please consider nominating a worthy colleague for one or more of these awards: Administration-Faculty Partnership Award – for UO administrators or department heads who demonstrate courage to stand for academic freedom and embrace the role of faculty in university governance. Outstanding Service and Contribution to United Academics – for United Academics members who have offered service to our union in multiple roles over many years. Strong Voice Award – for active United Academics members who have demonstrated sustained and committed activism on…

The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) states that units are to revise and submit their merit policies for approval by the end of the Spring 2023 term. Deans of colleges and schools may prepare and issue templates for merit policies to assist units during this process. Following that step,  “the faculty will first consider any input provided by the appropriate governance committee, department or unit head, dean, vice president, Provost, or designee” and faculty may amend policy suggestions from a dean and submit an amended policy for approval. The opportunity to devise policy that recognizes merit provides a vital touchpoint…

One of our most exciting wins in the last round of bargaining was the creation of a new major review and raise for Career Instructional and Research Faculty. Until now, Career faculty had two opportunities for promotion (to Senior I and II), but nothing akin to Post-Tenure Review raises that full Professors are eligible for every six years. This change allows Career faculty who have reached the highest rank in their category (or who are in a single-rank category, such as Professor of Practice) and have appointments of at least 0.5 annualized FTE to undergo an optional Career Continuous Employment…

Members of United Academics have spoken, and Article 31 Tenure Reduction Plan will remain in place. Of the faculty who voted, 96.52% voted to maintain the current system. The Administration proposed to end the tenured faculty’s TRP, which has been in place for at least 30 years, two days before the end of last year’s bargaining round. We anticipate that the Administration will again try to dismantle the TRP in the next round of bargaining. This decisive No vote against the Administration’s proposal will make it easier for us to bargain against their future attempts. Thank you from your colleagues on the Executive…

Executive Summary: The College of Arts and Sciences has issued guidance for unit merit policies that would require faculty to meet expectations in each of their areas of responsibility in order to be eligible for any merit raise at all. Such a requirement would be in conflict with the language and intent of Section 3b of Article 26 of the collective bargaining agreement. More importantly, pushing such a policy could backfire, encouraging units to adopt lower standards for teaching, service, and research than they might absent this guidance—especially in light of the unprecedented disruptions to every domain of our work over…

The faculty union’s Executive Committee urges our members to vote against the Administration’s proposal to eliminate the longstanding and popular Tenure Reduction Plan (TRP). Please vote No for your colleagues if not for yourself. The gist is that the Administration wants to take away the tenured faculty’s current guarantee of a year-and-a-half post-retirement income in exchange for a small increase in retirement benefits for PERS retirees and almost no increase for ORP retirees. The Administration made its proposal to end the tenured faculty’s TRP, which has been in place for at least 30 years, two days before the end of last…

We have elections for five officer and all representative positions this year, with nominations due by March 22, 2023. All members in good standing* are eligible to serve as officers or representatives and nominate other members in good standing. Self-nominations are also permitted. If you’re interested in running, our current board members are happy to talk to you and answer your questions. As always, you can contact UA staff with any questions at [email protected]. Open positions: Five Executive Council and all Representative Assembly positions are open. The Executive Council (EC) is the primary leadership body of United Academics, focusing on initiating,…

Paid Leave Oregon Goes Live This Year! In 2019, Oregon legislators passed a bill to create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program (HB 2005). That program, now known as Paid Leave Oregon, goes live this year. Paid Leave Oregon provides up to 12 weeks of paid parental, medical (for one’s own or a family member’s serious illness), and safe leave (for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking). Eligibility is expansive and includes all Oregon workers who earned $1,000 in the previous year – thus providing paid leave to thousands of workers who previously had none,…

Greetings, colleagues, We have an important AFT-Oregon announcement and a few updates. AFT-Oregon Referendum Vote Over the next few weeks, United Academics’ members will receive postcard ballots from AFT Oregon, one of our state affiliates, to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment allowing for hybrid AFT-Oregon conventions. The UA Executive Council encourages you to vote in support of the referendum. Geographic distance and the costs of travel and lodging have long been significant barriers to participating in conventions for too many locals and their representatives. Hybrid modality will ensure a more inclusive, accessible, and transparent convention for all the members…

Hello UA Members, Many of you are experiencing on-going work-life challenges due to shortages and affordability of childcare and early education afterschool care. Please see this message below from the Co-Directors of Lane County’s Early Learning and Parenting Education Hubs. They are conducting a survey to assess the needs and shortcomings for caregivers of young and school-aged children. Dear Parents & Caregivers, The Lane Early Learning Alliance is interested in hearing from you about your wants and needs are when it comes to child care and preschool for your child(ren). We will use this information to expand access to child care…

Greetings colleagues, One of the key pieces of bargaining the two parties left for resolution after bargaining was the administration’s proposed changes to Article 31 (Tenure Reduction Plan). This message seeks to: (1) clarify the proposal under consideration, (2) foreground the eventual ratification vote and its effects, (3) elicit feedback on your preferences and values in a brief survey, and (4) invite you to informational sessions to discuss specific questions and concerns in real time. Background At the close of our negotiations last June, the administration presented a new proposal to change the Tenure Reduction Program. Because we received this new proposal…

Greetings, colleagues. I’ll be direct. This is a call to action. We find ourselves during this academic year in a pivotal moment for shared governance at the University of Oregon. To the degree we rise to meet it, we have an opportunity to shape our units, our jobs, and our institution for the better. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) ratified in July left several key issues to an appendix of implementation agreements to be worked out over the following months and beyond, including caregiving supports; proposed changes to the Tenure Reduction Program (TRP); the role of service in our work;…

Dear UA Members, We worked hard in bargaining to get administration to acknowledge and offer institutional support for faculty caregivers. We were successful in pushing them to recognize their necessary role in making needed infrastructure a reality. As way of reminder, Article 34 “Caregiving”: Established a $500,000 Childcare Community Partnership Investment Fund to address local shortage of care providers Created annual $100,000 Travel Support Fund to offset work-related caregiving costs Purchased an institutional membership to care.com, so bargaining unit faculty members can have membership access to care.com to support individual caregiving needs. We know that many of you have questions…

Greetings, colleagues. I want to extend my best wishes to you as we begin another academic year. And to our newly arrived colleagues: Welcome to campus! We’re glad to have you with us. Before the start of each new academic year I wonder if the novelty will wear off and I’ll feel like I’m just going through the motions. But standing in front of hundreds of first-year students  on their first day of college classes remains absolutely electrifying. One of those students asked on their end-of-class reflection: “Do you actually like teaching?” YES! Despite the occasional shortcomings and challenges of…

The waiver on Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) requirements expires Oct. 31, 2022. United Academics’ affiliate union, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), holds a weekly online debt clinic and provides free access to Summer, an online platform that has helped thousands of AFT members apply for PSLF and other loan relief. Summer is an online student loan management platform that includes tools to help navigate the various forgiveness programs and has a team of employees that members can consult. You can find more info and enroll here. You’ll need your AFT member ID number. You can request your AFT member number on the AFT…

Members of United Academics have spoken, and the new Collective Bargaining Agreement has been ratified! Of the faculty who voted, 97.92% voted in favor of ratification. Among the many improvements for all faculty at the UO, the new contract: Establishes a clearer process for getting faculty-driven policies to the Office of the Provost (OtP) for final review. Clarifies pathways for appeals for grievances, arbitrations, and review appeals. Provides 10% wage increases over the life of the contract, raises salary floors, and outlines upcoming studies on inflation and salary equity issues. Establishes one of the very few Caregiving Articles within faculty…

Dear Colleagues, We offer a summary below of what we’ve accomplished in this bargaining cycle. We hope you take the time to look carefully at both this summary and your CBA before you vote on ratification. A “yes” vote means this CBA goes into effect until June 30, 2024. A “no” vote means we go back to bargaining until we reach a new tentative agreement or until one party initiates the mediation process, which could end with the imposition of the employer’s final offer or a strike. Voting will open on July 08 and run through July 18. All members…

Dear colleagues and comrades, I’m out. What a wild ride. Some memories and reflections for when you got a moment… Tres, Joe, and I sat there for lunch; they gave me the rundown of the state political labor scene. Our server was a little surprised that I, too, worked at the University with Tres and Joe. Joe quickly acknowledged we three were all faculty members, never once acknowledging they were profs and I was an instructor. It wasn’t the first time someone in the larger community looked at me and was confused that I, too, could be a faculty member…

A hearty thank you to all who tuned in for what ended up being a 12 hour bargaining session on Wednesday! While we did not quite complete negotiations, we are very close to an agreement and optimistic that we will finish tomorrow (Friday). Your team returns to the bargaining table at 9am – please Zoom In for the home stretch! We came out of this session with three new tentative agreements – on Articles 11 (Release Time), 16 (Notices of Appointment), and 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion). Those agreements will be available when signed by both parties. We made significant progress on…

First things first – we are nearing completion of this round of bargaining and may be able to wrap up negotiations this week! We need you to help put us over the finish line. Please Zoom In on Wednesday, June 15 – we will begin at 9am and bargain to conclusion or until the parties decide to call it a day. If needed, another session is scheduled for Friday, June 17 from 9am to noon. Last Thursday, your UA bargaining team presented counterproposals on Articles 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), 19 (Career Faculty Review and Promotion), 20 (Tenure Review and…

Your UA bargaining team met with the administration twice last week (June 1st and 3rd). Most of our open Articles were in the administration’s court last week – they gave us counterproposals on Articles 11 (Release Time), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), 17 (Assignment of Professional Responsibilities), 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion), 30 (Benefits for Retired Faculty), and 32 (Leaves). We also discussed their counters from the week prior on Articles 19 (Career Faculty Review and Promotion) and 28 (Fringe Benefits), as we had not had time to go over these at the table. Key Points…

The UA and administration bargaining teams met for a two-hour session on Wednesday, May 25. Your UA team presented counterproposals on Articles 16 (Notices of Appointment) and 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion). We only had time to discuss the administration’s Caregiving counterproposal, but they also provided counters on Articles 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 19 (Career Review and Promotion), and 28 (Fringe Benefits), as well as an updated University Distinguished Teaching Professor program description. UA Proposals In Article 16, we proposed moving many of the ideas from our Home Campus proposal to this Article, as it seems a logical place to clarify expectations around work…

As we approach the end of the academic year and in an effort to finish negotiations in the coming weeks, we’ve stepped up the pace of bargaining. We had two sessions last week – Wednesday 5/18 and Friday 5/20. Your UA bargaining team presented counterproposals on Articles 11 (Release Time), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), 19 (Career Faculty Review and Promotion), 27 (Public Employee Benefits), 28 (Miscellaneous Benefits), 30 (Benefits for Eligible Retired Faculty), and 32 (Leaves). The administration team did not bring any proposals last week, but provided a Caregiving Concepts document that outlined their thinking in…

A Message from UA’s Incoming President Greetings, my excellent friends. With the upcoming departure of Avinnash, I have been asked by the Executive Council to serve in his stead as Interim President of UAUO until our next regular election of officers in Spring 2023. It is a position I take on with a healthy respect and warranted trepidation. It doesn’t seem possible to match the passion, the heart, or the power of my predecessors. We are a diverse bargaining unit of over 1700 working in a multitude of roles across multiple campuses; I am acutely aware that I don’t have…

Wednesday, May 18 3:00 – 5:00pm Friday, May 20 9:00-noon Wednesday, May 25 noon – 2:00pm Wednesday, June 1 noon – 2:00pm Friday, June 3 9:00-noon

In our last bargaining session on Friday, 5/6, the administration team presented most of their remaining financial proposals. This included counterproposals on Articles 11 (Release Time), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), 26 (Salary), and 32 (Leaves), and an unexpected proposal to eliminate Article 31 (Tenure Reduction Program). We have yet to receive a response to our Caregiving Article. Given the importance of these proposals and the necessary discussion at the table, your UA team did not present any proposals this week. Discussion began with the administration’s proposed Article 26 (Salary). Section 1 of the Article, as…

Bargaining Next bargaining session is this Friday, May 6 from 9am-noon via Zoom, followed by a debrief and social hour from 3-5pm at Falling Sky Pub at 1334 Oak Alley. We expect to receive the remainder of the administration’s financial proposals, so please log in to support your team and hear just how much your and your colleagues’ work is valued by UO administration. United Academics Outstanding Contributions Awards Nomination deadlines extend to Friday, May 6 United Academics has established awards for outstanding contributions to the university community. Details of each award can be found on UA’s newsletter. Please consider nominating a…

Last Friday, the UA bargaining and UO administration teams returned to the virtual table. We received the administration’s first financial proposals, but unfortunately ran short on time so didn’t get through everything on the agenda. Your UA team presented counterproposals on Articles 11 (Release Time), 12 (Facilities and Support), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), and 29 (Retirement Benefits). We also offered our initial proposal on Article 32 (Leaves). The administration team presented counterproposals on Articles 17 (Assignment of Professional Responsibilities) and 19 (NTTF Review and Promotion). While we didn’t get the chance to discuss them at…

Textbook Reporting We have been hearing some concerns about textbook reporting. Please contact UA at [email protected] if you have concerns surrounding having your course materials public. Interim President Call The role of interim president of UAUO is open! We invite members to express their interest in that position or other ways of participating more in your union. One or more members of the current Executive Committee will be happy to meet with anyone interested (or even just possibly interested, thinking about becoming interested, and so on) to help you learn more about the position and other ways to be involved. If you…

A message from the Chair of Grievance and Contract Administration I hope that people have been tuning into bargaining sessions over the last few months as there are proposals that will directly affect many aspects of our working conditions. While the negotiations have occupied a significant part of our time and energies, we have also been able to advocate for faculty in a variety of ways not related to our new CBA, and we wanted to take the opportunity to remind you that you can reach out to us with any issue, great or small. In addition to having informal conversations with…

Workspace Temperature Issues We are in the process of negotiating CBA language to address the situation of problematic temperatures (excessive heat or cold) in classrooms, labs, offices, and other workspaces. The administration team has asked us to provide examples of rooms where temperature issues have been reported but not remedied. If you have experienced this situation, please complete this short form. The data collected by early next week will be included in UA’s report to the administration. Contingent Faculty Survey Our affiliate, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), is seeking input from contingent faculty on their current work and personal life experiences….

In our first session of Spring term, your UA team presented counter proposals on Articles 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion) and 21 (Review Decision Appeals). The administration team presented counter proposals on Articles 12 (Facilities and Support), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), and 16 (Notices of Appointment), and initial proposals on Articles 23 (Arbitration) and 29 (Retirement Benefits). Administration Proposals We kicked off the session with a brief return to Facilities and Support (Art. 12). We are close to agreement on this Article, with the remaining issue being faculty concerns around extreme temperatures in classrooms, labs, offices, and other workspaces….

United Academics has established awards for outstanding contributions to the university community. Please consider nominating a worthy colleague for one or more of them: Administration-Faculty Partnership Award – for UO administrators or department heads who demonstrate courage to stand for academic freedom and embrace the role of faculty in university governance. Outstanding Service and Contribution to United Academics – for United Academics members who have offered service to our union in multiple roles over many years. Strong Voice Award – for active United Academics members who have demonstrated sustained and committed activism on behalf of all faculty across our campus….

University of Oregon Union Town Hall with Sarita Gupta Wednesday, April 6, 6:30-8 p.m. 156 Straub Hall This event will bring together the presidents of each of the University of Oregon’s major unions to discuss the challenges and possibilities facing a largely unionized university workplace, now and in the future, with Wayne Morse Chair Sarita Gupta. Participants will include Avinnash Tiwari, United Academics of the University of Oregon; Stephanie Prentiss, Service Employees International Union 503; and Mel Keller, Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation. This event is part of the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics 2021-23 theme, Making Work Work….

Friday, March 18 marked our final bargaining session of the term. Your UA team presented Articles 19 (NTTF Review and Promotion) and 26 (Salary), as well as a new article focused on the needs of caregivers (Article XX – Caregiving). The administration returned counterproposals on Articles 09 (Union Rights), 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion), and 21 (Appeal from the Denial of Tenure and Promotion). We were able to reach two tentative agreements (TAs) – on Article 33 (Sabbatical), which the administration offered a counter on last session, and on Article 09. This brings us to a total of five TAs…

The UA and administration bargaining teams returned to the virtual table on Friday, Feb. 11 for our second session of the term. Your bargaining team presented counter proposals on Articles 11 (Release Time), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), and 33 (Sabbatical). The administration team followed with counters on Articles 9 (Union Rights) and 12 (Facilities and Support). Our proposals The session began with our presentation on Articles 15 (Academic Classification and Rank) and 16 (Notices of Appointment), which touch on many issues discussed by the Career Equity workgroup last Fall. Mike Urbancic (UA VP for Non-Tenure-Track…

The UA and administration teams met for our first bargaining session of Winter term (and third since we resumed bargaining in Fall) on Friday, Jan. 28. The administration team began by presenting counterproposals on Articles 11 (Release Time), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), and 33 (Sabbatical). We presented counterproposals on Articles 12 (Facilities and Support), 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion), and 28 (Fringe Benefits), as well as a new proposal on Article 21 (Appeal from the Denial of Tenure or Promotion). Our proposed revisions to Articles 12 and 28 are fairly minimal, but important. We maintain…

Your bargaining team will return to the virtual table this Friday, January 28, from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Please Zoom in to lend your support! You won’t appear on screen in this webinar-style session, but we can see that you are logged in in solidarity (even if you’re using the time to catch up on other work) and your presence sends a strong message to the administration that you are invested in the process and paying attention to the deliberations. This session, we’ll present proposals on Articles 12 (Facilities and Services), 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion), 21 (Appeals from the Denial of Tenure or…

Colleagues, Below, you’ll find the Executive Council’s message to upper administration after reviewing their response.  If you are having difficulty with remote accommodations for your work, if you feel you are working in an unsafe environment, or, if your workload has significantly increased this term, please contact us so we can advocate for you as best as we can. Please remember Bargaining picks up again this coming week. Zoom in from wherever you’re at. The B-Team did their work. Now we do our work and show up.  In Solidarity, The EC of UAUO — Dear President Schill, Provost Phillips, Executive…

Dear Colleagues, Tuesday, January 18, members of UA’s executive council met with Executive Vice Provost Janet Woodruff-Borden and Vice President Mark Schmelz in order to discuss the following list of solutions garnered by our membership to address our working conditions during the ongoing pandemic. During our meeting Avinnash, Bill, Lisa, Lynn, Mike, and Nathan expressed what we’ve been hearing from you all: why we need changes to both our current working conditions and how we can make those changes collaboratively and collectively. As you’ll see from the list below, we are thinking about short-term ways to manage the current moment’s…

Hello UA Members, Thanks to the many of you who attended last night’s general membership meeting. We had an informative and vibrant discussion about the current state of our working and life conditions under current Covid-19 policies. We take the many different points to heart, and recognize the multiple layers of issues many of us face. We have also heeded the many comments that have been emailed to the UA office and EC members. While UA Executive Council members have actively met with and maintained communications with upper administrators since before the Fall quarter, we see that it is time…

Dear Colleagues, Thank you for the many responses to us and me regarding how you see this moment we’re in. I haven’t had the time to respond to all, but I’m grateful to each and every one of you who reached out. Without exception, you all came from a place of wanting to do right by our students while balancing the health and safety of being in-person, our obligations as employees of the university, and what this moment means for our educational mission. So I offer a few key points garnered from those messages, for us all to consider from a…

Colleagues, Here’s what we know: Accommodations for faculty (health status, caregiving needs) remain the same as last term. The Academic Council meets today to potentially update classroom policies; we know that faculty can no longer remove masks under the public speaker exemption. Booster mandate details are forthcoming. There are conversations about our testing capabilities. Members of your Executive Council expressed your concerns about reopening to our bosses and we continue to do so. We are waiting to hear about the recommendations from the Academic Council and other updates from central administration, which should be forthcoming by week’s end if not…

Greetings Bargaining Unit Members, Nearly half of you voted on the Ratification of a three-year salary increase MOU between UA and UO administration. 95% of you voted yes. As noted previously, this MOU only affects a small portion of Article 26 in our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Other items, such as salary floors and promotion raises, have yet to be re-visited and bargained, as does the remainder of the CBA. Even though the vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the salary increases, some feel that this is not enough. Do know, your Executive Council, Bargaining Team, Economics Team, Representatives, and Stewards, all of whom…

Bargaining Update United Academics and the Administration are in the process of finalizing details of a raise package. A Memorandum of Understanding should be ready for review by the membership on Monday, December 6. We anticipate the ratification vote to occur Wednesday, December 8 through Friday, December 10. Stay tuned! Bargaining Schedule The second bargaining session of the term will be held on Friday, Dec. 10 from 9am to noon. Join us! Zoom in for the webinar format session here. COVID Concerns We’ve created a Google Form to help document some of the issues faculty have faced during the transition back to…

United Academics knows that many of you are excited to be back to in-person, and will continue to advocate for members of our community who are concerned about returning to campus. If you have questions or concerns related to COVID-19, please do not hesitate to fill out the anonymous form found in this post or to contact us at [email protected]. Loading…

Greetings Colleagues, Today, November 19th, United Academics (UA) and representatives for the University of Oregon administration (UO) came back to the bargaining table. I’ll briefly update you all on what we’ve accomplished today, as well as sketch out the sub-committee meetings I spoke briefly about at our Fall General Membership Meeting. UO presented some changes to three articles. Article 9, Union Rights, establishes UA’s ability to meet with bargaining unit members. No major points of contention here, as we’re trying to hone in on the details that allow us access to our members and clarify how access protocols across areas of…

We’re Bargaining a New CBA! Fall Schedule: United Academics will be hitting the virtual bargaining table for two sessions this term. Our first session will be this week Friday, Nov. 19 from 9:30 to 11:30am. The second session of the term will be held on Friday, Dec. 10 from 9am to noon. Mark your calendars! Zoom in for both webinar format sessions here. UA’s Bargaining Team plans to present a counter on Internal Governance and new proposals on Fringe Benefits, Hiring Information, and Home Campus. Winter Schedule: Beginning January, we will meet twice a month, likely in person (with either very large room…

Hello UA members, I am the incoming United Academics Vice President for Diversity and Equity, and I am very excited to embark on projects and advocacy that can address political climate issues and structural inequities faculty face at the University of Oregon. I have been at the University of Oregon since 2000, and am a faculty member in the Department of Indigenous, Race, and Ethnic Studies (IRES).  I am a trained sociologist, however my work is highly interdisciplinary. My first book examined the convergence of two Clinton era federal policies, welfare and immigration reform, and the immigrant mobilization that ensued…

Dear all, We’ve heard from quite a few of you with questions and concerns about how reopening policies are being applied in your units, especially when it comes to teaching. We’re hoping the following information helps as you navigate through the rest of the term, though, as always, we are more than happy to hear from you individually. We can help you assess your situation and advocate accordingly with our colleagues in HR and OtP. I know there’s a much more pressing and specific variation on these concerns, and that’s the childcare situation on campus literally imploding this week, as…

This message contains important information for those with underlying health conditions, or family members with underlying health conditions; please read through to the end. A working group of UA Executive Council members have been meeting weekly with Executive Vice Provost Janet Woodruff-Borden and Chief Human Resource Officer Mark Schmelz to work through ongoing workplace and safety issues as the majority of faculty, staff, and students return to in-person business. As you may recall, we supported the CSWS petition to allow caregivers of children 12 and under, who cannot yet receive the vaccine, the option to teach remotely. Central administration will not honor this…

As the summer has progressed, it has become obvious that our hopes for an end to the pandemic will need to be delayed for the foreseeable future. While we support many of the steps the administration has taken, we have received communications from many faculty over the past few weeks expressing concern about the plan to have an in-person “return-to-normal” fall reopening at our residential campus, considering that many states, including Oregon, are seeing some of their highest rates of COVID infection during the pandemic. We believe faculty are right to be concerned. Last week, Christina Karns, Lynn Fujiwara, Dave…

No major walkouts or other shenanigans. In other words, we actually got down to business. With a healthy budget to lean on, UAUO (myself and President Chris Sinclair) collaborated with the President’s office to make the final push for the Public University Support Fund (PUSF; $900m) and the Oregon Opportunity Grants (OOG; $200m), among other things (see below), and we got what we asked for. It took several sessions and a lot of conversations, but we finally got through the Part-Time Faculty Health Care bill. Senate Bill 551 guarantees faculty who teach part-time across multiple institutions will now be covered…

Dear Bargaining Unit Members, I am incredibly honored and humbled to be given the opportunity to serve as your President. I promise you I don’t take this lightly and will work my ass off to do what I can do. Besides, I still suffer from the “gotta work twice as hard and expect half as much” motto that I’ve known from too early. We’ve got a bargaining year, re-opening, and the business-as-usual challenges of equitable pay and attacks on academic freedom. Working conditions, especially for those tasked with caring for others, are not as accommodating as they need to be….

United Academics Strong Voice Award Nomination  We, the undersigned, are nominating our colleagues Elizabeth Peterson, Kate Thornhill, and Ann Shaffer for the United Academics Strong Voice Award. While many union members showed extraordinary leadership and advocacy this past year, we believe that our librarian colleagues responded to this crisis with fierce resilience and sustained support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.  Like many career faculty across campus during the 2020 spring and summer terms, 15 librarians were at risk of being demoted to 0.1 FTE due to the administration’s perceived budget shortfalls. Additionally, five librarians who were up for promotion were put…

Unit-level Policymaking Workshop Join us Tuesday, May 25 for a themed Lunch with your Local: Unit-level Policymaking. We will discuss process and best practices for creating and revising unit-level policies, with plenty of time for Q&A. Zoom in from noon-1pm.   College for All AAUP Oregon will be hosting a meeting on May 20th from 4 pm – 5 pm PT to make concrete plans for legislative outreach, particularly to our Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden. We need as many faculty, staff, students, and community members taking part as possible to make sure our voices are heard loud and…

Dear Colleague, With the recent victory of the pay reduction plan being rescinded, and given that the financial outlook for state appropriations looks good (though still uncertain), the Executive Council of United Academics has agreed with the university to pause bargaining until this summer. At that point we’ll have a better idea of enrollment and know state appropriation numbers. It will also give us an opportunity to partner with the university in securing those financial resources from the state and recruiting a large, diverse student body. We hope this, in turn, will allow the administration more of a sense of…

One might imagine in a beautiful state like ours, with its consistent Democratic majority of legislators committed to the values many of us UA members share, that we might experience some smooth sailing in virtual Salem. Well, at least when it comes to Higher Ed equity and Labor. Unfortunately, as many people of color and other marginalized groups understand, “progressive Oregon” has a long way to go… But the fight continues… HB2873 / SB712 Also known as the “HECC Voting Rights” Bill, Higher Ed folks have been trying to amend the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) voting rights makeup by…

Dear Colleagues, We don’t have a proper bargaining update this week, as we have not bargained with the administration for a couple of weeks. We have a session scheduled for Tuesday, April 6 from 2 to 5 pm, and you’re all invited to watch any or all of that session here: Zoom In In the meantime, we wanted to let you know what is happening to our colleagues at the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls. Almost two years ago now, the approximately 160 faculty at OIT formed a union and affiliated with the AAUP. For the last 15 months,…

We have elections for all officer and representative positions this year, with nominations due by April 26, 2021. All members in good standing* are eligible to serve as officers or representatives, as well as to nominate other members in good standing. Self-nominations are also permitted. If you’re interested in running, the current board members would be happy to talk to you and answer your questions. As always, you can contact UA staff with any questions at [email protected]. Open positions: All Executive Council and Representative Assembly positions are open! The Executive Council (EC) is the primary leadership body of United Academics with a focus on…

Over the next months, the UA bargaining team will be bringing you some contextual information about the major issues that we hope to address at the bargaining table. This installment is about issues that disproportionately affect women and caregivers in the workplace. Did you know…? That faculty at UO who are parents are often unable to avail themselves of childcare? Olum Center is so full that often there are long waiting lists. Moss Street prioritizes students. And, there is a dearth of childcare options in the city of Eugene. When parents do get a slot at Olum, they often have to…

On October 10, 2019, President Schill wrote to the campus community to commit himself to four principles: honesty, transparency, respect, and grace. Regarding transparency, he wrote, “Trust can only be built through transparency.” We don’t always find common cause with President Schill, but in this regard we could not have been more in agreement. Transparency was one of the founding principles of United Academics, and we have always tried to be as transparent as possible, including when we speak in your name at the bargaining table.Unfortunately, for the second straight bargaining session, the administration team has insisted that bargaining sessions…

Last week, Gabe Paquette, the new Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, introduced himself to the Senate and answered a few questions from the Senators. Several times over the course of his remarks, Vice Provost Paquette asserted that the Provost’s Office would be using the standards for promotion and tenure contained in the CBA when evaluating P&T files, such as a sustained record of scholarship. He particularly cited the CBA’s alleged requirement that candidates for promotion have a “sustained” record of scholarship. This is incorrect: the CBA provides guidelines for departments and units when they establish review criteria, not requirements for…

On Tuesday, our bargaining team met with the administration’s bargaining team to kick off a new round of bargaining. Although both parties are eager to bargain over the important provisions of the collective bargaining agreement, we must first establish the ground rules for negotiations.  Fortunately, the parties are on the same page on every issue except one. Where we differ is over who will have the ability to watch the bargaining sessions. Read the administration proposal here. Read our proposal here. The administration would like to keep the sessions open only to bargaining unit members. Their reasoning is that bargaining…

Bargaining UpdateWe are set to begin bargaining next Tuesday, February 9, from 3 to 5pm. Unfortunately, we have not yet agreed to ground rules with the administration. The main disagreement we are having with them regards who will be able to observe bargaining. The administration would like to limit the audience to bargaining unit members, administrators, and invited guests.Due to this ongoing disagreement, we do not feel comfortable widely sharing a link to the first session at this time. The bargaining team will be meeting this evening to discuss our best approach to resolve this issue. We hope you will…

***Note – Throughout the message below, we refer to Career faculty as either “instructional Career faculty” or “funding-contingent Career faculty.” We recognize that these terms do not precisely describe all of the Career faculty at UO. We have chosen to refer to faculty this way in the interest of trying to make a complicated subject a little clearer. “Instructional Career faculty” includes Librarians and all Career faculty who are not on funding-contingent contracts.  After months of negotiations, the University and United Academics have reached an agreement on the new system for employing Career faculty at the University of Oregon. Although…

While we remain entirely remote, from this week onward many of us will teach students from homes they share with parents, siblings, and others. This has always been true–many of our students share space with other people and need to attend Zoom classes from spaces that other people have access to–but it will be true for more students over the holiday week.  This is worth noting for a couple of reasons: many students will have increased connectivity and technology issues; some students may be quarantining due to travel; and some students may have roommates or family members in the room…