The University of Oregon values the contributions made by student employees and strives to provide a positive employment experience for all. Through student employment opportunities, the UO seeks to achieve two equally important objectives for students – providing valuable work experience and financial assistance while pursuing higher education.
Reaching an agreement on a collective bargaining agreement that best serves student employees and the university is a top priority. University administration is committed to establishing a CBA that best serves student employees and the university. Negotiations and decision-making will be guided by the key principles of appreciation, creative problem-solving, and responsible financial stewardship.
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.
November 18, 2024
The bargaining teams met for their scheduled session on November 14 and continued negotiations on a variety of proposals. The parties have scheduled their first mediated session with the state Employment Relations Board for January 7. Our next regular bargaining session is scheduled for November 22.
October 31, 2024
The university and UO Student Workers have been negotiating an initial contract since May without measurable progress. The university has requested mediation with the state’s Employment Relations Board.
Mediation is a step in the collective bargaining process that can be initiated after parties have had direct negotiations with one another for a designated period of time and need assistance making progress towards reaching a tentative agreement.
The university is hopeful that mediation will make our negotiations more efficient by:
- Facilitating effective communication between the university and UOSW bargaining teams.
- Clarifying UOSW’s interests and priorities.
- Confirming the scope and limitations of a collective bargaining agreement to address those interests and priorities.
October 1, 2024
The bargaining teams held their seventh negotiating session on September 25. The university presented information about its federally mandated process for investigating claims of prohibited discrimination and harassment. The parties discussed some of the proposals that UOSW presented in the previous session, with the university’s goal of better understanding the needs they represent. The university also presented its latest counters to several other articles. The proposals page is updated with the latest versions of all proposed articles.
September 9, 2024
UOSW and university bargaining teams met on September 9 for their sixth negotiation session to create their first collective bargaining agreement. The university presented articles related to hiring and job posting, contract distribution, and union rights. The bargaining team also addressed several UOSW proposals that the university would not be responding to for specific reasons. UOSW also presented several counter-proposals. The list of proposals is up to date.
The parties continue negotiations at their next bargaining session on September 25, 2024.
August 14, 2024
UOSW and university bargaining teams met on August 12 for their fifth negotiation session to create their first collective bargaining agreement. The university presented articles related to the terms and conditions of student employment, including discipline and discharge, grievances, layoff, leaves, and wages and job categories. UOSW presented its own slate of articles, some of which also dealt with the technical terms and conditions of employment; additionally, they presented articles related to free speech, protection of cultural programs and the environment, and standards for university financial investments. The parties reached tentative agreement on the Severability article.
For the latest proposals from both parties, see the List of Proposals and Tentative Agreements page.
August 5, 2024
The bargaining teams met on July 25 for their fourth session. The UOSW bargaining team presented several articles. The university presented an article on absenteeism, as well as complete agreement and severability articles, which are standard to most collective bargaining agreements.
June 18, 2024
Bargaining continued on June 18. The university’s bargaining team has taken a listen-first approach respecting the union as the moving party that initiated this process as part of establishing representation for student workers. Allowing the UOSW bargaining team to lead with their proposals at the onset of bargaining helps the university’s bargaining team understand the interests and issues important to student workers.
Thus far, the union has presented twenty proposals. Some of the proposals include usual and customary provisions such as discipline, grievance, union rights, scheduling, and severability. Other UOSW proposals are seeking free parking, a four-credit tuition waiver, free healthcare that includes medical, dental, and vision, expectations for allowing remote work when possible, and significant wage increases, among others.
In the most recent session, the UO bargaining team presented two proposals to establish employer rights and no strike provisions, which are standard in any collective bargaining agreement.
The list of proposals is up to date to keep the UO community informed and to meet the goal of transparency throughout the process.
Bargaining will continue through the summer.
June 5, 2024
The university and UOSW bargaining teams met today for their second negotiation session. UOSW presented proposed articles on union rights, health and safety, discipline, grievance and arbitration, layoff and recall, leaves, tuition discount, severability, break rooms, remote work, parking, student absences, and building access. Full text of the articles will be posted on the proposals page.
May 29, 2024
Direct bargaining began with an open negotiation session between the university’s and the UO Student Workers bargaining teams. The UOSW bargaining team presented six proposals on the following topics – wages and compensation, pay cycle, scheduling, shift meals, healthcare, and non-discrimination, anti-harassment, and anti-bullying. They also presented a letter of agreement that would facilitate delivery of data and include a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) waiver for student workers to allow the UO to release their private information to the union. The list of proposals provides full versions of proposals and counter-proposals exchanged during the bargaining process.
Negotiations will continue at the next bargaining session on June 5, 2024.
May 28, 2024
Employee and Labor Relations and UOSW union representatives will formally meet on May 29 as part of the collective bargaining process. The parties have been engaged in ongoing discussions about the bargaining timeline, logistics, and ground rules to establish a framework for negotiations. While many details are yet to be determined, the parties will use upcoming meetings to get the bargaining process started before the end of the spring term.