Oregon public university workers reached a tentative agreement early Saturday morning with university administrators on a new contract that covers wages, benefits, and other workplace policies.
The agreement follows months of negotiations and worker actions, including a strike authorization, in pursuit of a new contract.
Melissa Unger, Executive Director of SEIU Local 503 said in a press release, “this is a win for the 4,500 workers who dedicate their lives to Oregon universities.”
The new contract includes The largest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in more than a decade, 3% retroactive to July 1, 2019 pending ratification and another 2.1% starting July 1, 2020. There was No change in healthcare costs for workers, which the union views as a significant improvement from the 10% increase originally proposed. The agreement also includes A 48-hour leave bank for workers over the 2-year contract to be used if campuses are shut down because of inclement weather.