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TL;DR Syllabus statement regarding a potential strike. Admin using fear, uncertainty, and doubt to influence faculty; let us know when you see it. Soft launch of strengthenUO.org, our resource for the general public regarding our contract campaign. We hope everyone had a restful winter break. For those teaching this quarter, we have a syllabus statement at this link that you can use or modify  to inform your students of potential disruptions to class due to a strike. We begin mediation with the administration starting in late January, and we hope that we can avoid a strike with the help of…

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…

TL;DR The final scheduled bargaining session is Thursday, December 5, 12:30-3:30, with the brief United for UO rally at the EMU amphitheater at noon. The administration has still refused to acknowledge the erosion of wages due to inflation and the increase in administrative work being pushed down to faculty. They have steadfastly refused to move our wages to the average of our comparators. This is likely our last opportunity to try to convince the administration that we will not accept real wage cuts, and fair compensation is a much better alternative to the disruption of a potential strike. Final Bargaining Session Most of what remains in terms of bargaining has…

TL;DR: Bargaining is becoming less productive as time progresses. We expect this process to enter mediation soon. Come to bargaining Thursday November 21, 12:30-3:30, in Chiles 125. Still No Movement from Admin Thank you to everyone that came out to bargaining last Wednesday. The Oregon Falling rally buoyed our team’s spirits and showed administration the broad support for our proposals. We are bargaining again on Thursday, November 21 from 12:30-3:30 in Chiles 125. Your presence is still necessary to motivate the administration to take our demands seriously now, before we may have to take more dire actions later. Your team presented our proposal…

Earlier this week the Scholz administration sent a bargaining update stating that they remain “committed to a compelling total compensation structure that retains and recruits faculty in service of our shared mission” subject to the financial constraints faced by the institution, pointing to state disinvestment and a competitive market for students at our current tuition levels. The truth is that the university is in a better financial position than it was a decade ago, and that faculty are in a worse position. State support has increased faster than inflation, tuition has increased faster than inflation, yet faculty salaries haven’t kept up. The administration continues to erode the…

Dearest colleagues, Solidarity is more than joining ranks to fight for the pay and working conditions we deserve. Solidarity is about being there for one another to offer support, assistance, or even just a kindly ear when needed. To any faculty feeling unsafe, angry, disillusioned, lost, lonely, or unsure of what to feel or what to do next at this incredibly difficult moment: we are here for you. We extend a standing invitation for folks to stop by the United Academics Union Hall for snacks, a beverage, and a listening ear. Or just a safe place to sit and to…

No Movement from Admin Your bargaining team met with the administration for the 17th session of negotiations on October 31st. Thank you to everyone who attended, whether in person or over Zoom! The next bargaining session is Wednesday, November 13th. More on that below. The Scholz administration refused to move on salaries… or anything else. The administration returned Article 26: Salaries to us. The headline numbers are unchanged: the administration is offering us a package that would permanently devalue our work, reduce our quality of life, and ultimately mean a pay cut (in real terms). The administration also rejected modest…

Good afternoon, colleagues!Amid ongoing contract negotiations which are becoming ever more difficult, we are holding a meeting for all union members this Wednesday, October 30, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Crater Lake Rooms in the EMU. Dinner and drinks will be provided.It is no exaggeration to say that this may be our most important “General Membership Meeting” yet.Starting at 5:30, members of the bargaining team will give an update on the progress (or lack thereof) since February. We’ll have a conversation about how negotiations may play out over the next couple of months. Then, we’ll ask everyone…

Bargaining Update for October 17, 2024 Your bargaining team met with the administration for the 16th session of negotiations on October 17. Thank you to everyone who attended, whether in person or over Zoom. We know that everyone has very busy lives and we appreciate your engagement. The next session will be Thursday, October 31st, 12:30 – 3:30 in Chiles 125. We are quite probably in the end stages of bargaining, and it is more important than ever that faculty remain engaged and show up for our bargaining sessions if we are to win a fair contract at the bargaining…