Teaching and research assistants, as well as other graduate student workers at the University of Oregon have voted to authorize a strike.
Rosa Inocencio Smith, vice president of member communications for the union that represents graduate student workers, said many have considered leaving their programs because they can no longer afford inflation and soaring housing costs.
“My students deserve and expect better than instructors who are distracted and exhausted because they're working second jobs and worrying about how to put food on their tables,” she said.
About 97% of graduate student workers voted in favor of authorizing the strike during an Oct. 27 election.
Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation union members are currently working under an expired contract. They could go on strike any time after Nov. 27.
Inocencio Smith said graduate student workers have two more bargaining sessions scheduled in the next few weeks, and could come to an agreement before then.
In a statement, a University of Oregon spokesperson said the university values its graduate student workers and is committed to negotiating a new contract.
“We remain committed to reaching agreement with the GTFF bargaining team on a successor contract, while also fulfilling our responsibilities to ensure academic and research continuity in the event that the GTFF issues a strike notice,” the statement read.
According to their proposals, the University of Oregon has offered graduate students a 10.25% minimum increase in year one of the contract, and 3.75% increases in the second and third year of the contract. The union’s counter offer was a 21.75% increase to the minimum salary the first year, 11.75% the second year and 7.75% the third year.
The University of Oregon’s graduate student union is among the oldest in the country. The strike authorization also comes at a time of increased labor organizing on campus. Undergraduate student employees, working in food service, student housing as well as other jobs, voted to unionize last month.
