The faculty and student workers unions at the University of Oregon have authorized the option to strike.
The Faculty
United Academics represents more than 1,700 UO employees. They're asking for a contract with better raises and more professional development time.
Last week, these workers also voted overwhelmingly for a strike authorization, totaling 92% in favor, with an 89% turnout.
Currently, the union is in a cooling-off period. Union leaders could call for a strike starting as early as March 31. That's the first day of UO's Spring Term.
In an email to KLCC, UO spokesperson Eric Howald said the university is committed to finding a contract that fairly compensates faculty, while also being financially sustainable.
Union lead negotiator Nathan Whalen said UO has to invest more resources, and deliver an offer that will ensure the long-term retention of its employees.
“There will be a very large number of students without classes on the first day of Spring Term if they're not willing to engage in that sort of conversation," said Whalen.
UO representatives didn't respond to KLCC's questions Monday about whether it was preparing for potential strikes, or how classes and campus services could be affected.
The Students
UO Student Workers represents around 4,000 employees. They’re seeking a contract with higher pay and more protections against harassment.
The union announced Monday that its members had voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, with 94% of participating workers in favor. The move comes after union leaders declared an impasse in negotiations with the university last Wednesday.
"We've been bargaining for almost 10 months," said Izzie Marshall, a member of the union's bargaining team. "We've made progress on the contract, but we need to make more movement soon."
Marshall said UO still hasn’t agreed to some of the worker’s demands around wages and shorter pay periods. And they said it hasn't yet ensured that third parties will be allowed to arbitrate harassment and discrimination grievances.
However, Marshall said the pressure of a potential strike may be making an impact. They said the parties reached tentative agreements on six other articles in their last meeting.
“We're hoping that we are going to reach an agreement," said Marshall. "We are willing to compromise and negotiate, and we're also expecting the university to do the same.”
The university didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the negotiations. Previously, UO spokesperson Angela Seydel told KLCC it was committed to reaching an agreement that provides consistency to students and supervisors.
The parties will now have to submit final offers and enter a 30 day cooling-off period. With this timeline, leaders of the student workers union could order a strike starting in mid-April.
