University of Oregon Student Workers union started their 11-day voting period to potentially authorize a strike after eight months of bargaining with the university.
According to the Oregon Employment Relations Board, a strike authorization vote does not definitively signify that the union is going on strike. There are several steps that both UOSW and UO’s bargaining team would need to take in order to file an intent to strike, including completing mediation, declaring impasse and making final offers.
“Our strike authorization vote is how student workers vote to give our bargaining team the authority to call a strike if necessary. The SAV vote does not mean that we will inevitably go on strike,” Izzie Marshall, bargaining team member and student worker, said.
According to a letter sent Feb. 26 by UOSW, if a student worker votes “yes,” they are voting for “the bargaining team to call for a strike if circumstances justify it.”
According to an Instagram post by UOSW, as of around 6:30 p.m., over 1,000 student workers have voted “yes.”
UO Spokesperson and Director of Issues Management Angela Seydel said that UO is committed to “continuing” the negotiation for a contract.
“The goal is an agreement that will provide consistency and guidance to students and supervisors,” Seydel said. “We value our student employees and their contributions, and appreciate the progress made so far.”
The vote concludes on March 14 at 9 p.m.
“I am confident in our ability to have a strong turnout and a strong ‘yes’ vote. Our union has not taken this step lightly or without consideration from mass membership,” Ashton Pressman, UOSW negotiator and student worker, said.
