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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 you may already know, we are entering a bargaining year for our union. To include your voices and ideas on issues that concern you, we are holding listening sessions every Friday at 9 am and 4 pm on Zoom. We are also happy to schedule in-person meetings with faculty in your department who may want to discuss matters together. Please reach out to your steward or Representative Assembly member if you would like to schedule a meeting for your department. If you do not have a steward or representative, feel free to reach out to me directly….

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…