The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation voted by a wide margin to ratify the new three-year contract it reached with the University of Oregon, wrapping up a year of bargaining.
“Many, many thanks to everyone whose hard work and support helped make this happen,” GTFF wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday announcing the results, “and we look forward to continuing to work to make working and living conditions better for all grad employees at UO (and throughout our community).”
The new contract includes 3% increases to minimum salary levels for every year of the contract, a continuation of how much the university contributes to GEs’ health insurance premiums (a figure standing at 95%) and a new pilot program for GE summer appointments.
“I am incredibly proud of what we were able to build over the year of negotiations,” GTFF President Ellen Gillooly-Kress said to the Emerald. “I am also very excited to see what we can do next as we have built up an incredible network of people who are now engaged in the union in a way I have never seen in my six years of being involved.”
The GTFF represents graduate employees, the graduate students who teach, research or work in university administration in exchange for tuition waivers and monthly salaries.
Related: “A student’s guide to UO’s campus labor unions”
Out of the 73% of members voting, the vast majority, or 93%, voted “yes” on ratifying the tentative agreement on a new contract that the GTFF and UO reached on Oct. 29.
“We are very pleased to have reached agreement and finalized a contract with Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation that demonstrates commitment to GEs and the critical work they do supporting academic and research pursuits and invests financially to maintain graduate programs that are successful and competitive now and in the future,” UO spokesperson Kay Jarvis wrote in a statement.
What happened during the year of bargaining? A look back:
Oct. 29, 2019: GTFF and UO reach a tentative agreement
Oct. 29, 2019: GTFF members demonstrate outside the final bargaining session
Oct. 28, 2019: Campus prepares for a potential strike
Oct. 26, 2019: GTFF announces its plan to strike
Oct. 18, 2019: Photos: GTFF rallies after strike authorization
Oct. 18, 2019: GTFF authorizes a strike
Sept. 26, 2019: GTFF declares an impasse in negotiations
May 24, 2019: GTFF and other campus labor unions address board of trustees
Apr. 18, 2019: GTFF members demonstrate ahead of mediation
Apr. 3, 2019: GTFF “mourns” the official end of its past contract
Mar. 8, 2019: Health care, salaries rise to top of negotiations
Nov. 9, 2018: GTFF rallies to start bargaining
This story was updated on the morning of Nov. 12 to include a statement from GTFF President Ellen Gillooly-Kress.
