Archives

March 11, 2019

Follow-Up on Wright State Strike

On January 22nd, the majority of Bargaining Unit Faculty represented by AAUP-WSU made the choice to go on strike. Not for higher wages but for the protection of the academic mission of the university and our right to negotiate over our terms and conditions of employment. We stood strong for 20 days as the administration drug their feet to the bargaining table. Our  #solidarity prevailed.  The end result? A much stronger contract than the one the administration imposed on January 4th with restored protections and the preservation of our legal rights. We call this a win, but it comes at a price.  Collectively…

December 18, 2018

Survey Results re: CAS breakup

The most interesting results of our recent survey on the process and prospect of breaking CAS into smaller schools came from the narrative comments. We have scheduled a meeting with President Schill to share both the concerns and hopes of our members regarding this potential, major re-organization of the university. We report on the major themes that arose in the narrative comments and the aggregated unit data of the responders. Concerns Less support for/value of Humanities and undervalued departments 35 Less collaboration/integration 28 More centralized admin/resources, less faculty voice 27 Moves away from traditional university/Liberal Arts structure and mission 16…

October 30, 2018

Vote No on 103

Measure 103 amends the Oregon Constitution to prohibit taxes/fees based on transactions for “groceries” enacted or amended after September 2017. While this sounds promising, the measure would set a dangerous precedent on other kinds of taxes that the state could initiate in the future. The measure, as written, is vague at best, purposefully confusing at worst. Given that there are no taxes on groceries, and Oregonians have clearly rejected consumer sales tax measures in the past, why bring forth this measure now? Clearly, it’s a preemptive measure, but not one meant to protect consumers. Given that the American Beverage Association…

October 30, 2018

Vote No on 104

Measure 104 is a prescription for endless budget crisis and legislative gridlock in Salem. Since the passage of Measure 5 by Oregon voters in 1990 Oregon has required a 60% majority in its legislature to pass any tax bills. Measure 104 radically expands this so that a 60% supermajority would be required to pass ANY bill that could increase state revenue. No fee could be increased, no tax loophole could be closed, literally nothing could be done to increase state revenues without a supermajority. There would be little hope of ending the regular Oregon ritual of schools, universities, health care…

October 29, 2018

Vote No on 105

I am voting NO vote on Measure 105 in support of the health and safety of my community 105 is a divisive anti-immigrant measure that local law enforcement veterans say would keep them from effectively doing their job to ensure public safety. The measure would repeal the bipartisan sanctuary state law that we passed in 1987 forbidding the use of state resources to do the work of federal immigration authorities. In the years leading up to the passage of the 1987 law, racial profiling of Oregon residents was known to be commonplace throughout the state, resulting in a profound lack…

October 29, 2018

Vote No on Measure 106

If you believe that all Oregonians should have equal access to the full range of reproductive health care, vote No on Measure 106. Measure 106 limits access to safe and affordable abortions. One of the arguments being used to justify this measure is economic, but even though limiting women’s access to affordable abortions will not save the insurance system money, it might easily push some vulnerable families into poverty. The measure is regressive and punitive in that those families with the fewest financial resources will be the most affected. Moreover, by placing limits on publicly-funded insurance, including plans offered by…

September 28, 2018

A Sour Note

While there is great anticipation for the coming academic year, there is also one sour note. Over the summer, the Office of the Provost ruled that faculty can be transferred within the institution at any time, for any reason. Essentially, you can be sent to work in Eugene, Portland, Charleston, or any other place the administration can call a university location. You can, of course, also be transferred back or somewhere else. The Provost’s Office believes that you have no right or say in where you work. This is especially frustrating because all the faculty spent countless hours over the…

September 25, 2018

Welcome new women faculty to campus!

The Center for the Study of Women in Society and the Office of the Provost invite you to a reception to welcome new women faculty to campus. New and current faculty at the University of Oregon are invited to attend to welcome new women faculty to campus, to learn about one another’s research and work, and to inspire collaboration, community, and support across campus. Don’t forget to bring your colleagues with you! While this event is titled as a reception for new women faculty, CSWS welcomes everyone on campus whose scholarship deconstructs and reconstructs approaches to gender, and we invite…

September 25, 2018

General Membership Meetings

United Academics will be bargaining out next Collective Bargaining Agreement in the 2019 academics year. We will be using the 2018-19 academic year to formulate bargaining planks. General Membership Meetings are a great opportunity to meet with other faculty and talk about what is and is not working at the University of Oregon, and to help inform bargaining conversations. 2018-19 General Membership Meeting Dates Thursday, September 27, 2018, from 5-7 in Gerlinger Lounge Thursday, January 10, 2019 Thursday, April 4, 2019