On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the University of Oregon Student Workers Union organized a “study-in” from 3 to 5 p.m. inside Johnson Hall, the administrative building. The union workers demanded fair contract negotiations from UO administration amid ongoing bargaining and a strike authorization vote that begins on Monday.

A UOSW sign outside Johnson Hall listed the union’s demands, which included:

• “Meet with President Scholz, Provost Long or Senior Vice President Jamie Moffitt”

  

• “Have UO agree to our key articles:
  • Non-discrimination and anti-harassment
  • Grievance and arbitration
  • Health and safety
  • Accommodations”

Izzie Marshall, a bargaining team member for UOSW, said that these demands reflect the articles included in the ongoing contract negotiations.

“We need to get their attention to have a conversation with administration about the university’s bargaining team making movement in our contract negotiations,” Marshall said. “So the university is forcing student workers to choose between fair and timely pay or a safe and inclusive workplace when we deserve both.”

Victoria Robinson, a UOSW executive committee member, highlighted UOSW’s motivation behind the study-in.

“The university’s bargaining team thinks that student workers don’t care about these key issues, but we do; and we wanted to take a big action to show people that we do care,” Robinson said.

Robinson said that while some university officials had passed the protest, there was little direct engagement from top administrators.

“We’ve had some members of UO admin come in; I think someone from Student Life, but President Scholz walked through earlier today and kept his head down. We would love to talk to them if they would come talk to us,” Robinson said.

The “study-in” was a new form of organization for UOSW.

“We haven’t really done a longer action before,” Marshall said. “It’s week eight, and we wanted people to be able to sit and show the university that they care. This is a busy time during the term, so we wanted to make sure people could participate without it taking up their whole day.”

While UOSW did not have an official headcount, Marshall said it was “packed” and organizers were “very happy” with the turnout.

“Lots of people have been coming out, like, in it all day,” Marshall said.

After the official end time of 5 p.m., a group of UOSW members decided to remain inside the building until their demand to “meet with President Scholz, Provost Long or Senior Vice President Jamie Moffitt” was agreed to by the university. 

Around 7:30 p.m., approximately 10 union workers still remained inside Johnson Hall. Some union workers gathered outside singing labor songs, such as “Solidarity Forever” and chanting, “UO works because we do.”

After the duration of the study-in extended in hopes of securing a meeting, student worker Joseph Novak emphasized his frustration.

“I’m tired; I’m hungry, pissed off. It’s really annoying. You know, at this point we’re just asking for a simple meeting. You know, it’s not much. It’s really not that hard. And this is just the kind of stuff, as organizers on this campus, that we have been getting from UO for years,” Novak said.

According to Robinson, close to 9 p.m., an agreement was reached in which a meeting was scheduled between UOSW and Provost Chris Long on Thursday, Feb. 27.

UO Spokesperson Eric Howald provided a comment on behalf of the university:

“Last night a group of students refused to leave the building after hours. The Dean of Students spoke with them about their concerns, and they left peacefully,” Howald said. 

On Friday, Feb. 28, another mediated session between UO and UOSW is scheduled, and UOSW has announced via Instagram that they will be holding their strike authorization vote beginning Monday, March 3, to Friday, March 14.

“Our next step is holding a strike authorization vote, which we would need a majority of people to vote yes to sanction the strike,” Robinson said.