From Oct. 5 through Oct. 24, University of Oregon Student Workers have been holding an election to officially establish an undergraduate union to support improved working conditions across campus. 
All student employees who have worked hours from April to September, were hired between Aug. 15 and Sept. 19 or are currently an RA are eligible to confidentially vote in the election through an online ballot sent to their student email. Graduate students are also eligible to vote as long as they are not in a position affiliated with another union such as the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF). 
The university officially states that their stance on unionization is neutral and that they support a fair union election process where student workers are encouraged to exercise their right to vote. 
“This election is to form our union. Right now we don’t have a certified union –– this is the next step to getting us legally certified and to get UO to the bargaining table,” union organizer and RA Carolyn Roderique said.
If 50% or more of the ballots are “yes” votes, the union will be certified. If 50% are “no” votes, it will not be certified. Certification ensures that the bargaining process can move forward, meaning the university must sit down with UOSW leadership to negotiate working conditions like pay, pay periods, harassment in the workplace and more.
The push for a union began in winter term of 2022 through the formation of the UOSW advocacy group and a workers survey. At that time, a student worker bill of rights was proposed through ASUO in an attempt to advocate for better working conditions, but it was struck down by their constitutional board. 
“It was never going to work going through all the bureaucratic hoops,” Roderique said. “So we ended up just saying, ‘Okay, let’s have a union and have our own sense of power rather than just hoping the right people care enough to advocate for us.’”
If established, the union will cover a unit of around 4,000 workers in a variety of student jobs across campus such as dining, RAs, EMU workers, research assistants and more, meaning it would be one of the largest “wall-to-wall” unions at a public university in the United States. 
“It’s the first of its kind, and this is a really big deal,” Roderique said. 
Last year, UOSW went public with a card check campaign and collected 2,200 cards from student workers over a six month period. Those cards were submitted to the Employment Relations Board in order to begin the election process. 
Since there isn’t a “vote no” campaign for the election, those involved with UOSW believe that a win for the union is very likely. “We are really confident that we are going to win the election,” UOSW Logistics and Outreach Chair Mae Bracelin said. “The question is, ‘What is our turnout going to be?’ The higher the turnout we get, the better that looks, so we’re really just trying to push people in every workplace to vote.”
Over the course of the voting period, the campaign has consisted of members of the UOSW union stopping by workplaces to remind workers about the election and giving pitches to certain classes about the union. 
Students are currently advocating for a union for several reasons. “Really the most widely felt [grievance] across campus is the pay period,” Bracelin said. “A four week pay period at the wages we’re making is not enough to sustain yourself and live off. One of the biggest hopes is that through a contract, we would be able to secure a two week pay period for student workers.”
This sentiment about pay is shared by other students, like sophomore Shawn Jackson who currently works in dining and wishes for more flexibility with payment and work hours. While he wasn’t eligible to vote since his contract is designated “short-term,” he is informed about the current union movement. 
“I think the union is a good thing for students, especially for those who work here full time,” he said. “I know some students need it for their source of income.”
Another motivation for the current election has been the news that UOSW’s sister student workers union at Dartmouth College was able to increase pay from the federal minimum wage to $16.25 an hour for students. 
“That’s a huge increase, which shows really how powerful undergraduate unionism is,” Bracelin said. 
After GTFF declared an impasse with the university on Oct. 19, they hosted a rally in front of Johnson Hall the following afternoon. Since both groups are at critical points in their push for bargains with the university, UOSW joined GTFF in solidarity, with members bringing homemade signs in support of the union effort. 
“Even though we have a different academic level, undergraduates and graduates, as workers, we have so much in common,” Bracelin said. 
The UOSW election ballots will be tallied on Wednesday, Oct. 25.