CORVALLIS, Ore. — Major economic and workplace issues remain unresolved as the Higher Ed bargaining team prepares for three additional mediation sessions in August.
SEIU Local 503 President Johnny Earl and OSU bargaining delegate Damien Manassa discussed the status of negotiations during a hybrid bargaining and strike-readiness update July 30 at Oregon State University. The event included questions from workers attending in Memorial Union room 211 and online.
Management’s economic package remains incomplete
Management’s zero percent cost-of-living adjustment remains on the table. Manassa told attendees that management had not provided a complete economic package addressing cost-of-living raises and health insurance.
The bargaining team has said it will not respond to economic proposals one piece at a time while major parts of the package remain outstanding.
Management revised its proposal on steps
Management moved away from its original steps proposal after workers across Oregon’s seven public universities rallied, emailed leaders and spoke with coworkers about bargaining.
Under the revised proposal described at the meeting, workers would advance annually through the first five steps and then move every other year. Manassa said the bargaining team does not consider that structure acceptable and does not want to establish a slower progression that would have to be renegotiated in future contracts.
Layoff and contracting-out proposals remain open
Management proposals affecting layoffs, bumping rights and contracting-out protections also remain unresolved. The bargaining team told management that it is not accepting those takeaways.
Manassa said approximately 27 articles remained open at the latest mediation session. Seventeen of those articles were on management’s side of the table entering that session, meaning the bargaining team was awaiting management responses on most of the unresolved articles.
What happens next
Mediation sessions are scheduled for Aug. 5, 6 and 12. Union leaders said members will evaluate management’s response after those sessions and decide whether to continue mediation or consider a strike-authorization vote.
No strike-authorization vote has been called. Any authorization vote would be a separate decision made by members.
The strike pledge is not a strike vote
The Higher Ed strike pledge is a statement of support for the bargaining team and a rejection of the proposals currently on the table. Signing the pledge does not authorize a strike.
More than 140 people had signed the pledge as of July 31, according to Local 083’s official count.
People do not need to be union members or part of the Higher Ed bargaining unit to sign. Coworkers and community members may sign to show solidarity with Higher Ed workers. Workers in the bargaining unit must be union members in good standing to vote in any future strike-authorization vote.
Read and sign the pledge
People who support a fair Higher Ed contract can read and sign the pledge before the bargaining team returns to mediation Aug. 5.