Oregon rising…Salaries falling! Sign onto our letter to admin

We need your help to avert a strike. Bargaining, especially around salary, is not going particularly well. The administration is refusing to offer raises commensurate with inflation, much less a plan to get our salaries up to the AAU average.

We have heard from members both on the potential necessity for us to flex our power to secure reasonable raises, but also anxiety around what that might mean. First and foremost, a strike is a last resort, and one which must be approved by the membership of United Academics to proceed. Strikes are for when our backs are against the wall and logical negotiation fails at the bargaining table.

While there are several bargaining sessions to go, that metaphorical wall is quickly approaching. The administration has given no substantive discussion around salary since their initial (evergreen) “but the UO is broke” presentation. Our analysis shows that the UO is not broke, that the percentage of the budget going to faculty has fallen, and based on the paucity of conversation at the bargaining table, the UO has no public plan to deal with inflation nor market conditions. If they cannot perform their administrative duties and make decisions consistent with an AAU institution then it may be necessary to force their hand.

For now, our goal is to demonstrate that we have a critical mass of United Academics members who think the UO can and should RESPECT and SUPPORT our faculty through EQUITABLE PAY so that we may flourish.

We ask you to sign onto a letter we will deliver to the President and Board of Trustees in an effort to avert a strike by making a forceful statement from a supermajority of our members. Our goal is to show the administration that a fair contract is coming one way or the other, and it is in their best interest to avoid campus disruption so that we can do the job we are here to do.

We will be discussing bargaining and potential outcomes at our next General Membership Meeting on October 30. This will be an important meeting and we urge all members to attend (or Zoom in) so we can talk about current bargaining challenges as a group.