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We all recognize that we are living in increasingly challenging times.  Bargaining is rarely a pleasant process, but the upheaval and chaos in our federal government has created a context that we had not contemplated a few months ago, let alone when we began the bargaining process.  At the same time, we continue to make amazing strides collectively in this fight for a fair contract.  We have expanded our collective power, faculty have become activated and come together to engage with our union at unprecedented levels, and we have secured changes that will improve transparency and strengthen shared governance at…

Dear colleagues, As Spring Break progresses, you will likely see messaging about the two visions for our university. While the administration wants faculty to focus on the risks of striking, we must remember that our primary goal is to secure a fair contract in order to improve faculty wages and working conditions and to strengthen the academic mission of the university. What are the risks of not securing a fair contract? Inflation would continue to chip away at faculty wages, our contributions would remain undervalued in the university’s mission, and the administration would feel emboldened to use the same tactics…

The United Academics of the University of Oregon have spoken.  89% percent of our members cast votes in the strike authorization vote, and of those, 92% voted in favor.  Thank you for your participation in the vote and the rally. This vote authorizes your Bargaining Team to call a strike if they think it is the best path forward in securing a fair contract. In the coming days, there will be a flurry of communications about strike logistics, the status of negotiations (which continue on Monday!) and how to contribute your skills to effectively win a just contract. Stay tuned!…

TL;DR:   Emergency General Membership Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 3/11, 5-6:30pm. Willamette 100 and hybrid. We will be opening the Strike Authorization Vote. Come join the conversation and get your questions answered. The Final Quackdown. Our last big rally to convince admin to settle a fair contract will be Friday, 3/14, 11:30-1pm. We will meet in front of the Ford Alumni Center and march down 13th to Johnson Hall. We need the biggest crowd we can muster! 40 spots open for Willamalane preschool—register your interest! UA Elections. Late day to submit delegate nominations. Read more to see what roles are…

Membership Meeting & Strike Authorization Vote The time has come. We have been talking about this for a long time, but the administration is still demanding faculty take a pay cut in real dollars. We are holding an Emergency General Membership Meeting to answer members’ questions about bargaining, what a strike entails, and any other issues of interest. The Strike Authorization Vote will go live at the Membership Meeting and stay open until Friday, March 14 at 4:59pm. The meeting will be Tuesday, March 11 from 5-6:30pm in Willamette 100. Only members of United Academics may attend (children of members…

Last, Best Offers Filed on Tuesday The administration submitted their last, best, and final offer on Tuesday evening. Though the lack of movement was unsurprising, it was still very disappointing. The Scholz/Moffitt administration is maintaining their offer of raises of 4% the first year (across-the-board) and 3% merit raises for the last two years of raises. While they did increase the salary floors slightly, they rejected all remaining union proposals (professional development time for Career faculty, expansion of tuition benefit for faculty dependents, and increased notice period for funding-contingent faculty). They rejected all provisions of our Researcher Support Article and…

TL;DR:  We declared impasse after the administration refused to move on their sub-inflation raise proposal. We enter a new phase where we need engagement from all members to secure a fair contract. Things you can do: Attend Strike School Tuesday 2/25 or Friday 2/28. (RSVP) Attend the Virtual Town Hall on Thursday 2/20. (Zoom in) Sign your strike pledge and talk to your colleagues about signing theirs. Talk to and/or share information with your students about impasse and the impact of a strike. IMPASSE DECLARED! Today, your bargaining team declared impasse. To explain this decision, it is worth reviewing how we…

TL;DR:  Hear about our national affiliates’ response to executive orders affecting higher education. Sign your Strike Pledge, and talk to your colleagues about signing theirs. Attend our Strike School (2/14, 2/18, 2/25) and learn how to carry out an effective strike. Executive Actions and Threats to Higher Education We are closely monitoring the executive orders and subsequent legal responses that affect higher education. The current federal administration is trying to overwhelm the system by issuing a large number of executive orders. Their intentions include having local organizations lose their focus to stop them from achieving their principal goals. Given the pace…

Mediation Update for February 7, 2025 Your bargaining team met with administration for our second mediation session on Friday, February 7.  The session began with a conversation with Jamie Moffitt, the University’s Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer. We appreciated having a chance to speak with her, not so much due to the information that the administration team conveyed in this meeting – the same concerns regarding payments to PERS and PEBB, state disinvestment, enrollment figures and other anxieties that they have expressed since before we ever unionized – but for the chance to convey…

General Membership Meeting In anticipation of the administration making minimal moves on economic proposals, we are now taking strike pledges. We will be talking about these as well as where we stand in mediation, our pressure campaign to attempt to avoid a strike, and our next steps at the General Membership Meeting Thursday, 5-7pm in Allen 221. Business begins at 5:30pm. You may also join us by Zoom. Bring your colleagues, ask questions, and share your thoughts and concerns. We’ll provide pizza and soft drinks. We’d love to see all members there. We Want to Hear From Researchers! Researcher Social…