When I met with Mike Urbancic, a senior instructor II of economics and president of United Academics, he illustrated the University of Oregon faculty’s plight with a metaphor.
“We’ve got that lovely collection of world flags around Hayward Field. They were gorgeous when they were put up, but over time they’ve fallen into miserable disrepair. They’re tattered, torn and snagging on trees — it’s a powerful visual. The university is really proud whenever we create shiny new things, but when it comes to maintaining them, it’s just not a priority — they’re left to be weathered, bedraggled and fall apart,” he said.
UO’s faculty endure a similar state of neglect as they bargain for their new agreement. UO’s United Academics (UA), a union representing 1,728 faculty members, has been bargaining with the administration since Dec. 5 for contract improvements such as more sick leave, fairer workloads and a salary raise.
Campus has rippled with discussion over what this strike would entail for students — no classes, no research and a total academic blackout — but what would it mean for instructors? What do they stand to gain? What are their reasons for such drastic action?
Currently, UO faculty have the lowest salaries out of any Big 10 university. While in-state tuition has risen 37% since 2014 in inflation-adjusted dollars, faculty salaries have declined by 5%.
This deprivation, however, doesn’t stem from financial hardship — UO’s general budget has grown by 5.7%, and the six highest-paid administrators rake in a combined yearly total of $3,037,800.
This injustice spurred the UA to submit a proposal requesting an across-the-board 8.5% raise for all faculty in 2025. The administration countered with 4%. If the administration refuses to budge, faculty say they will strike in spring term.
“My personal reason for being involved in the union is that right now, we’re facing a complete societal transformation with the incoming presidential administration,” Jon Jaramillo, a UA-affiliated Spanish career instructor, said. “Truth is not as important, and our work (as scholars) has been devalued. We’re seeing a shift toward running the university like a corporation — it’s destroying students’ creativity. If we don’t do everything possible right now with this contract, when will be the next opportunity for us to adjust our pay?”
While federal changes may threaten the future of public universities, Urbancic notes a promising change on the state level. Due to increases in Oregon’s budget forecast under new state economist Carl Riccadonna, there will likely be $1.3 billion more of tax money available by 2027 for public uses such as paying state university faculty.
In other words, the scarcity long used to justify underpaying instructors has vanished.
“There can be more investment in higher education and K12 and housing and healthcare because the pie is simply bigger,” Urbancic said. “We’re done with this idea that we’re squabbling over a fixed budget. We’ve had years of underinvestment in higher education relative to other states; now is the time to do something about it.”
Instructors form the foundation of our university, and their current wages are not only unacceptable but unwarranted. Labor activism is having a renaissance on campus, as evidenced by graduate educators’ and classified staff’s successful fight for better compensation and the prospective student worker strike, and faculty should not be forgotten in this push for equity.
“I think students should hear both sides out — listen to what both the administration and the union have to say, look at the data and decide for themselves who to support,” Jaramillo said.
“We hope that students will be supportive and understanding of our struggle…because really what we’re struggling for is to secure the conditions to continue providing our students with an excellent education. We’re struggling to create the conditions for us to be successful in helping them to be successful.”
