Higher Education Bargaining Information
Bargaining Timeline: Feb 12 & 13
- Union proposals: Article 10 to grow union power and expand workers access to their union.
- Article 2: Temporary work must not last longer than 9 months to offer job security and to require permanent position if work lasts longer
- Management proposals included allowing 45 days instead of 5 days to provide employees inspection of personnel and supervisory files.
- Management also proposed to have sick leave align with Oregon sick leave laws
Our current negotiated, enforceable benefit becomes the MINIMUM required by law-and nothing more.
State sick leave vs HE CBA 2026
| Category | SEIU 503 Higher Ed CBA | Oregon Law Only |
|---|---|---|
| Accrual | ~8 hrs/month (full-time) | 1 hr per 30 hrs worked |
| Annual cap | No 40-hr cap | Up to 40 hrs/year |
| Waiting period | Typically none | Up to 90 days allowed |
| Carryover | Unlimited or high | Can be capped at 40 |
| Enforcement | Union grievance & arbitration | BOLI complaint |
| Stability | Contractually locked | Employer-controlled minimum |
Higher Education Bargaining Information
Bargaining Timeline: March 5th & 6th
Our Union proposals: Subcontracting, Personnel Records, Layoff, Academic Year Positions, Computer Workstations, Artificial Intelligence
- Apply protections to prevent quiet erosion of bargaining unit work
- Allow stewards access to personnel records with employee authorization
- More flexible timelines, and allows recall opportunities across geographic areas of the university
- More options for paying health benefits through the summer and reduces affordability gaps
- Requiring notice before monitoring, protecting privacy, limiting covert surveillance
- Requiring compliance and addressing risks before harm occurs keeping accountability with people not algorithms
Higher Education Bargaining Information
March 5th & 6th
Management Proposed changes for Article 18, Article 19, Article 31, Article 37, Article 43 and Article 48.
- Removes the access to grievance enforcement for discrimination be forced to work with internal HR
- Eliminates our power to challenge denial of reclassification resulting in fewer options to challenge unfair outcomes for reclassification
- Require a new trial service period for employees returning from layoff that did not exist before
- Eliminates our power to challenge denial of reclassification resulting in fewer options to challenge unfair outcomes for reclassification
- Management wants to cap bereavement leave and match to Oregon OFLA law
- Requiring appropriate taxation of vacation payout
Higher Education Bargaining Information
March 23 PSU
Our Union proposals: Article 57, Article 59
- Uniforms be fitted appropriately, and cost of maintenance for uniforms be paid by the university. Suitable protective gear provided during winter and in cold rooms
- Notice of technological changes must be made in writing and allowed adequate time and training of these changes be distributed to members.
We continued to work through concepts around inclement weather benefits and no discrimination.
Management proposals: Article 17 Discipline and Discharge, Seek to modify or delete Letters of Agreement “no longer needed”
- Management would gain more control over when discipline rules apply
- Management would be allowed to remove employees from workplace for extended periods
Higher Education Bargaining Information
March 30th & 31st
Our Union proposals: Rejected managements change to discrimination language, Article 28 Affirmative Action, Created new article 66 Immigration and Identity Protections.
- Rejecting managements proposal to remove grievance process from discrimination cases added sections to designate trained stewards to manage equity and discrimination matters and have stewards represent employees across universities if needed.
- Proposed Joint Labor Management Committees to discuss equity and non-discrimination issues.
- New article to promote non-discrimination in hiring, promote diversity, equity, and internal advancement.
- Introduced new article (66) for strong protections for immigrant workers seeking strong protections for immigrant workers.
- Protections for work authorization issues such as documentation university must provide detailed written notice explaining what the issue is, and what specific documentation is needed. This would retain the workers seniority and the right to be reinstated to their position with a path back to employment
Higher Education Bargaining Information
March 30th & 31st
Management proposals: Rejected Article 2, and Article 54
- Management rejected Article 2 and does not want to be regulated with how long temporary workers are employed.
- Management rejected our union’s proposals that requested change
- Management countered the language to allow a union steward to have access to an employee’s personnel and supervisory file.
- Management accepted the language to provide protective clothing for workers assigned to work outside in inclement weather or cold rooms.
- Management accepted the technological retraining language our union proposed.
Our Power & Next Steps
Next bargaining sessions: April 23rd & 24th – Bend Cascades Campus
- Management is trying to take more from us – we must stand together united to stop more takeaways!
- We are the workers who make Oregon’s universities run and together we have the power to fight.
- Watch bargaining over zoom link, talk to your co-workers, show up and stay engaged.
The outcome of our contract won’t just be decided at the table – it will be decided by what we do TOGETHER