CORVALLIS, Ore. — Our union delivered our strike notice to Roy Haggerty, Oregon State University’s provost and executive vice president, on Friday, Sept. 18, bringing our unresolved contract concerns directly to university leadership.
Haggerty met our Local 083 delegation at 8:11 a.m. in the lobby of Kerr Administration Building, near the north elevators. Krystal Waldschmidt, a cook 1 in University Housing & Dining Services’ Dining Centers, read the notice aloud.
The notice states our union’s intent to strike beginning Sept. 28 at 6 a.m. It also affirms our commitment to bargaining in good faith on Sept. 24 and expresses hope that the universities will offer a proposal that allows a strike to be averted.
In response, Haggerty expressed sympathy for our demands, described the challenge of negotiating with the other universities and asked for room to work through those internal discussions. He also said he would make a copy of the notice and ensure it reached the university president.
What our notice says
Our notice, signed by SEIU Local 503 Executive Director Melissa Unger, concerns negotiations for a successor to the 2021-2026 collective bargaining agreement for classified positions.
It says that after more than seven months of negotiations, issues remain unresolved concerning the agreement’s duration, contracting out, salary, employee benefits, cost-of-living adjustments, insurance, trial service and layoffs.
The letter explains that our union has been seeking cost-of-living increases that keep wages paced with inflation. It says the universities’ proposed future adjustments fall far below projected inflation and below the cost-of-living increases given to university administrators.
Our notice connects those concerns to both the economic stability of classified workers and the work we do for students.
“We are standing up for economic stability for the classified workers of Oregon’s public universities to ensure qualified staff will continue to offer the educational experience Oregon students deserve,” the letter states.
Haggerty’s response
Haggerty began his response by emphasizing that the notice refers to multiple universities.
“You know you said a key word in there ‘universities’ it’s plural and we’re very sympathetic to your demands and we’re in the challenge of having to negotiate with all of the other universities,” he said.
He continued:
“We’re honestly—we would like to do more for you so you have to allow us to have the internal politics of all of that.”
Haggerty thanked members for attending and for their work, saying, “you all are critical to the university.”
He also thanked the delegation for reading the letter and said, “go Beavs.” He then referred to having come from a university where purple was a color, describing himself as “a little bit freaked out.”
Haggerty said the university president was not there that morning and stated that he would pass along the notice.
“I’ll make sure it gets to the president and I’ll make a copy of it,” he said.
Haggerty’s remarks are quoted from a video transcript provided by our SEIU Local 503 internal field organizer, Sylv Sharpe.
What members need from bargaining
Haggerty expressed sympathy for our demands and acknowledged the importance of our work. He also described negotiations with the other universities as a challenge.
Our notice explains what members need those negotiations to resolve: cost-of-living increases that keep wages paced with inflation and the outstanding issues affecting our pay, benefits and working conditions.
In the transcribed response, Haggerty did not announce a new bargaining proposal or commit to specific contract terms. For our union, the question is how that stated sympathy will be reflected at the bargaining table.
Our notice sets out both our intent to strike and our commitment to continuing negotiations. We are seeking a proposal that respects the essential work classified staff perform so a strike can be averted.
The strike notice
The body of the notice and its signature block are reproduced below.
Pursuant to ORS 243.726, Service Employees International Union Local 503, Oregon Public Employees Union (the Union), on behalf of the strike permitted members employed by Oregon’s public universities addressed above, hereby provides notice to the Oregon Employment Relations Board and the universities addressed above of our intent to strike in relation to the parties’ negotiations for a successor to the 2021-2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement for Classified Employee positions. In accordance with all prior PECBA timelines, the strike shall commence on September 28, 2026, at 6:00 AM.
We are exercising our right to strike because the universities have left us with no choice. We have been trying to negotiate for a cost-of-living increase that will keep wages paced with inflation while the universities have proposed future cost-of-living adjustments which fall far below projected inflation, and below the cost-of-living increases given to the university administrators. We are standing up for economic stability for the classified workers of Oregon’s public universities to ensure qualified staff will continue to offer the educational experience Oregon students deserve.
After over seven months of negotiations, we are striking over the following unresolved issues:
- Duration of the Agreement,
- Contracting Out,
- Salary, Employee Benefits and Terms of Cost-of-Living Adjustments,
- Insurance,
- Trial Service, and
- Layoffs
We are committed to continuing to bargain in good faith on the scheduled bargaining date of September 24th. Though it is our intent to strike beginning September 28, 2026, we hope that the universities will offer a proposal that respects the essential work performed by classified employees so that a strike can be averted.
Sincerely,
Melissa Unger
Executive Director SEIU Local 503, OPEU
What comes next
Our notice identifies Sept. 24 as the next scheduled bargaining date and Sept. 28 at 6 a.m. as the intended strike start. Our union remains committed to bargaining in good faith and seeking an agreement that can avert a strike.