Dearest Colleagues,
It’s been a busy start to the 2025 academic year, and I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few of the many campaigns that UA members have been steadfastly working towards these past months. Despite all of the challenges that we have faced this year, our union is stronger than ever, and I’m delighted that so many initiatives are being championed by rank-and-file members in addition to union officers. For those who are interested in stepping into an officer role, please know that we will be holding elections for several positions in the first quarter of 2026, with further details at the bottom of this message.
Arbitrations & ULP update
We have been engaged in a lot of activity over the last few months due to the layoffs from Spring of last year and Fall of the current year. On behalf of the bargaining unit members laid off in Spring we lodged an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) that will be heard by an Administrative Law Judge for the Employment Relations Board on December 3 and December 16th. With this complaint we are protesting the University's refusal to provide names of all faculty members affected by layoffs in the Spring (which we view as a violation of the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act) and are demanding the rescission of those notices in order to proceed to arbitration. In addition to the Unfair Labor Practice complaint, we have demanded to engage in expedited arbitration on the Fall layoffs. In these hearings we will be challenging the University's financial framework behind their decisions as well as concerns related to seniority considerations.
Protecting Yourself in the War on Knowledge and Education
VP of Tenure-Track Faculty Affairs, David Luebke, has led the charge in developing a practical resources guide for faculty navigating this time of increasing ideological attacks on academic teaching and research. This toolkit offers guidance on how you can protect yourself beyond the university walls and online, including advice on what to do if you become the target of doxxing. This resource, which is continually being updated by UA members, has been well-received by the broader academic community and was recently highlighted by the Big 10 AAUP Alliance. You can access the WOKE toolkit here.
Report Doxxing
United Academics asks anyone who has been the victim of doxxing or other threatening actions to report the incident to United Academics. To help with this, UA has linked a form to the union’s homepage where you can fill in basic information about their experiences and indicate whether or not you would prefer to remain anonymous. UA is cooperating with the UO administration to ensure that faculty receive the protection they need; however, no one at United Academics will follow up with the UO administration, university police, or other authorities without your explicit consent.
Legislative advocacy
Chair of the Politics Committee, Bonnie Mann, as well as Jeff Schroeder and other members of the UA politics committee have continued to meet with politicians and higher education organizations throughout this term. Bonnie, Jeff, and many other faculty who were affected by the recent layoffs and administrative response to budget projections made crucial connections with legislators during the summer, and the politics committee continues to build these relationships and advocate for faculty through every available avenue. You can read more about the many of these efforts in this previous newsletter.
International & Immigration Issues
In response to the escalating attacks by ICE and the current federal administration, several rank-and-file members of UA formed a new subcommittee focused on International & Immigration Issues. The subcommittee was formed to organize a response to the brutality and lawlessness that are directed at members of our community because of perceived race or immigration status or country of origin, including our students and faculty. Already, members of the subcommittee have collated and created resources to advocate for the protection of immigrant and international members of our community, such as posters to remind faculty of the process within limited-access spaces.
Keeping an eye on the budget
The UA Committee on the UO Budget, led by Kathleen Freeman, has been meeting regularly this term to unpack and discuss the financial decisions and budgetary projections of the UO administration. This committee is compiling information from many sources, and members also attend university committees, such as the Senate Budget Committee’s open meetings, to be able to stay abreast of the newest budgetary updates. If you are a fan of deciphering spreadsheets and budget models, let us know by emailing ucub@uauoregon.org.
Accountability for UO Administration
The UA Communications and Action Team (CAT), chaired by Leslie Selcer, has continued to press for stronger shared governance and financial transparency from the UO administration. The newly revamped strengthenuo.org website showcases the many actions you can take to support these efforts. CAT is currently developing a survey to help United Academics learn more about the existing culture of trust between faculty and top administrative leaders at the University of Oregon, which will be launched in winter term.
Strengthening community
Finally, several UA members have been working towards strengthening our community through hosting social groups. To combat the winter doldrums, consider joining the The Fiber Artists Against Fascism group or, for a more physical group, join the Primate Collective and go bouldering with your colleagues! A list of current social engagement groups can be found on our website here: https://www.uauoregon.org/purely-social/. We’d also love to see you at our final Faculty Club of the Fall term this Thursday at Nelson’s on Campus starting at 4pm.
There is so much more that I could highlight in this newsletter. If you would like to be more in the loop or get involved in the efforts of your union, please reach out to info@uauoregon.org to join our slack channel or connect with one of the many ongoing initiatives.
With appreciation,
Kate Celis Mills
UA President