Negotiations between the Service Employees International Union and Oregon’s Public Universities over the past three days have not resulted in an agreement. Yesterday the administration filed for an impasse, meaning they believe an agreement is not possible.
Well over 100 service workers, students and union supporters gathered in the park across Franklin St. by the Onyx Bridge today to discuss the news over hamburgers and hotdogs. Several people spoke at the event, including the union president, ASUO members, a former GTFF president, and lead SEIU bargainers.
Rob Sisk, the president of SEIU Local 503 spoke first, harshly criticizing the university. “We have to teach them a labor history lesson,” Sisk said energetically. “We’re going to teach that lesson until they take a test and get an A!” As Sisk spoke, alternating boos and cheers filled the air, mixing with thick clouds of smoke coming from the barbecue.
Johnny Earl, a lead bargainer for SEIU, spoke next, giving updates on the administration’s proposals. According to Earl, Oregon’s Public Universities is offering a 1.25 percent salary increase this year, up from 1 percent, but nowhere near the 3 percent SEIU is asking for.
“I’m the last person to tell you I want to go on strike,” Earl told the crowd, “but I’m the first person to tell you we deserve better.”
Many speakers voiced their concern over what they called the “corporatizing of education,” or turning higher education into a business. Earl said that University of Oregon President Michael Schill, whom he called “the $900,000 man” to the delight of the audience, declined to meet with SEIU members outside of negotiations, even though many previous president have. “If you’re not a donor, you’re not important,” Earl said. “Well he may not see us, but he will hear us.”
Other campus organizations showed their support for the classified workers. Joe Henry, the president of the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation during the GTF strike last year, offered the GTF’s support, saying that GTFs would not pick up extra work if the classified workers decided to strike. Henry is no longer the GTFF president.
Members from United Academics, the university’s faculty union, attended the gathering. UA reached a tentative agreement with the university on their long negotiated contract Thursday night.
ASUO members showed student support as well. Shawn Stevenson, ASUO’s Finance Director, said the claim that student tuition would have to go up if wages increase was false. “They’re just trying to scare students,” he said. Oregon’s Public Universities claim that they have no money to increase worker salaries, while “at the same time, admin salaries are skyrocketing,” Stevenson said.
The gathering ended with a round of chanting. One hundred voices tried to drown out the traffic on Franklin by chanting “UO get off it, it’s people over profits!”

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Hamburgers and hotdogs were provided at the event. (Noah McGraw/Emerald)