The GTFF is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers and represents graduate students performing instructional, research, and administrative assignments.  This bargaining unit has more fluctuations than the others, as graduate students move in and out of the unit frequently depending on the nature of their appointment. The unit normally varies between 1300 and 1500 members.

Current President: Kisa Clark, School of Journalism and Communications

Website:  http://gtff3544.net/

Bargaining

UO and GTFF begin negotiating a successor contract

The University of Oregon and Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation have opened bargaining to reach terms for a successor contract. Keeping the university community informed is a top priority. The bargaining teams plan to every other Friday starting April 7, 2023, typically from noon to 3:00 p.m., throughout the spring term. 

Updates

The UO bargaining team will provide periodic updates throughout the bargaining process when significant proposals or counter proposals are exchanged, tentative agreements are reached, or important milestone moments occur. Questions and requests for additional information should be directed to the bargaining team in Employee and Labor Relations at uoelr@uoregon.edu.

May 18, 2023 

The university and GTFF bargaining teams meet on Friday, May 19, for their sixth bargaining session. They will continue to discuss interests, ask clarifying questions, and exchange proposals in their efforts to reach a tentative agreement for a successor contract. 

Key interests in discussion at this point in the process include: 

• Salary and benefits 
• Summer GE appointments and FTE minimums 
• Increasing support for international GEs and those with caregiving responsibilities  

The university has continued to emphasize clarity around employment dynamics and expectations for GEs, careful stewardship of university resources, rights, and responsibilities, and maintaining a robust total compensation package for GEs that includes fair stipends, tuition and fee remissions, and excellent health insurance.     

March 17, 2023

The university and GTFF bargaining teams began negotiations by outlining priorities and providing context and framework for their proposals. The university's bargaining team expressed its interest in agreeing to a contract that offers successful, competitive graduate programs, now and in the future. 

To advance these interests, the UO bargaining team presented its first proposal on salary and benefits that includes: 

• A multi-year salary increase plan providing a 4% increase to salary minimums in September of 2023 and a 2.65% increase to minimums in September of 2024 and of 2025; 
• No changes to the fee structure; and 
• No changes to the health insurance program.  

In the proposal given to the GTFF bargaining team, it was made clear that there will not be any proposed changes to the health insurance article by the university. This means the university agrees upfront to maintain the existing structure for financing health insurance as currently outlined in the collective bargaining agreement. This important detail offers clarity and reassurance that the university has no intention of proactively seeking changes to the health insurance program during bargaining.

The GTFF bargaining team’s presentation outlined their priorities, which includes economic stability, health and well-being, supporting international GEs and underserved groups, and working conditions. This is consistent with regularly discussed topics at monthly labor management meetings with GTFF leadership prior to engaging in the bargaining process. The university’s bargaining team looks forward to continuing to have meaningful conversations, identifying shared interests, and reaching agreements that benefit both graduate employees and the university. 

The GTFF bargaining team presented their first set of proposals, which include thirteen articles related to salary and benefits, work environment, appointments and assignments, and summer support. The GTFF have made their proposals public through Trello, which can be accessed with this link: https://trello.com/b/diHGQaH6/gtff-2023-negotiations. 

February 27, 2023

The parties met to discuss ground rules, reach agreement on bargaining processes and logistics, and establish common expectations for future meetings. Ground rule discussions will continue in the next meeting, a date for which has not yet been confirmed. It is tentatively set for March 17, noon to 3pm.