Correction: UO administration’s offer for base pay is $15.44/hour and The Daily Emerald mistakenly reported that its base pay offer was $15.54/hour.
The University of Oregon Student Workers, after nearly 11 months of bargaining for pay, pay periods, resident assistant roles and more, have begun its strike as of 8 a.m. today.
Picket lines are currently set up in front of Johnson Hall.
During the strike, dining halls, mailing and package services will continue to operate, though dining hall hours may differ. Changes in hours of operations will be updated at each dining venue. Customers will not be able to use cash at dining halls, according to signs posted outside of dining venues. Cash can be converted to duck bucks at kiosks located at the Erb Memorial Union and Knight Library.
Striking Resident Assistants will likely not respond to non-emergency situations such as roommate disagreements, lockouts and paperwork.
Dining Hall Hours and Services
Global Scholars Hall: No cafe.
Unthank: All dining venues, including the cafe, are open.
Living Learning Commons: No cafe; pastries available.
Hearth Cafe: Closed.
Lillis cafe: Open.
Service Desks, Additional Venues
Erb Memorial Union “O desk:” Closed.
Lillis front desk: Closed
New Residence Hall: Open, normal hours.
Global Scholars Hall: Open, normal hours.
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art: Closed.
Updated 8:30 p.m.
Around 8:30 p.m., strike supporters and picketers began leaving — ending the first day of UOSW’s strike.
Coral Quist Knopf, an events services worker, said he is “excited” about what changes the union can make following the first day of the strike.
“I’m feeling very energized and optimistic. I am shocked by how many people showed up… I am excited to see what changes we can make,” Knopf said.
Andrew Kalmen, a dining hall worker in Unthank, said he was feeling “tired but accomplished and happy” after his first day picketing..
Math tutor Lucas Ferante expressed a similar feeling.
“(I am) pretty energized, ready to continue throughout the week,” Ferante said.
Strike captain and organizer Valentine Bentz said the turnout and energy were more than expected.
“We are overwhelmed by the amount of support and engagement. I couldn’t have expected more than this so many people I don’t know showed up and it’s better than I could have thought,” Bentz said.
According to Bentz, the plan is to start picketing at Johnson Hall at 8 a.m. tomorrow, with a 5 a.m. set-up time.
According to Bentz, the union has tentative plans to welcome guest speakers to the picket lines this week.
“We have a lot of cool things lined up for the week. Political teachings and on May 1st we will have big rallies in commemoration of May Day,” Bentz said.
Updated 5:45 p.m.
At 5:00 p.m., approximately 400 picketers and strike supporters marched from Johnson Hall to DeNorval Unthank Jr. Hall.
Picketers continued to chant and march outside Unthank and held signs that read, “UAW on strike,” among other messages.
During the march, cars driving along Agate Street honked to show support for the student workers.
The UO Recreation Center will be closed at 8 p.m. tonight. Normal hours for the Recreation Center were from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday.
Updated 4:00 p.m.
Signs were hung around the Erb Memorial Union stating that the building will be closed at 9 p.m. tonight. The EMU’s regular hours are from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Picketers and strike supporters continue to march and chant outside Johnson Hall.
In a statement to The Daily Emerald, United Academics President Mike Urbancic said that UA was “excited” to support UOSW and that they hope the university “will offer them a fair contract without further delay.”
“Look for faculty marching along with student workers on the picket lines and supporting the strike in whatever way we can,” Urbancic said.
Jennifer Smith, president of Service Employees International Union 503 sublocal 085, released a statement about the strike on Instagram.
According to Smith, SEIU members could not “co-strike” along with student workers but could picket when not on the clock. Members can show solidarity with “buttons and desk decorations” and that union members cannot take on duties and responsibilities of student workers.
In an email statement to The Daily Emerald, Smith said SEIU is in “complete solidarity” with UOSW and that the union was impressed with the organization and commitment of the student workers.
“It takes a lot of courage to go out on strike. The stakes are real. These student workers need a fair wage so they can work and help pay their way through college and the current offer from the administration does not achieve that reasonable expectation,” Smith said in the email statement.
Updated 2:10 p.m.
Around 12:20 p.m., strike supporters ended their march throughout campus.
Soon after, pickets began to form again.
Currently, there are approximately 300 strike supporters and picketers in front of Johnson Hall.
Earlier in the morning, a Daily Emerald photographer witnessed a few picketers stopping a UPS delivery truck from delivering packages to the New Residence Hall.
According to Orin Shriver, a member of UOSW’s media team and a housing service center worker, the union has not “blocked” any delivery service, including UPS and USPS or requested them to stop operations.
Shriver said when the union members informed the delivery services about the strike, “they were more than willing to stop.”
“They (delivery services) felt like it was an issue that was big enough that they did not want to support the school,” Shriver said.
Updated 11:45 a.m.
At 11:15 a.m. roughly 200 strike supporters gathered in front of Johnson Hall, the university administration building, ahead of a scheduled 12:00 p.m. rally.
There are approximately an additional 75 workers gathered across the street on the steps of Fenton Hall as multiple union members make speeches to the crowd.
Union member Ashton Pressman told the crowd that UOSW is striking for the first majority undergraduate workers contract at a public university in the country.
“Not only will our contract enshrine these benefits for us and our co-workers and generations of UO student workers to come, it will enshrine and offer more to fight for thousands of workers across the country,” Pressman said. “Right now is a critical time, to stand up, to take action. Right now is the time to fight for what we deserve and what we need.”
Around 11:45 a.m, strike supporters began marching west down East 13th ave before entering the Lillis Business Complex and exiting back out and preceding east down 13th.
Updated 10:00 a.m.
Student workers are chanting “UO works because we do” and some are drumming on buckets.
“The university left us with no option (except to strike). It is super disappointing. UO students need to be compensated to live in Eugene and go to school here,” Victoria Robison, a media representative for UOSW said.
Pickets are expected to continue until 8 p.m. and clean up is expected to last until 11 p.m., according to UOSW’s instagram page. Picket lines will primarily be held in front of Johnson Hall, according to UOSW bargaining team member Izzie Marshall.
“It is insulting and we deserve better than this. We are going to do whatever it takes to get student workers what they deserve,” Marshall said.
On UO’s bargaining webpage, the university states they have come to some agreements on arbitration, wages and are exploring options for a bi-weekly pay system. These are all major sticking points UOSW has been bargaining on for months. Despite this “ongoing effort to reach an agreement,” Marshall said it was not enough.
According to UOSW bargaining team member Jonah Gildea, current base pay is set to $18.50/hour in UOSW’s offer and $15.44/hour in UO’s offer.
Kamalei Doswell is a student worker at the Yamada Language Center that joined the picket line.
“I agree with the cause — dining workers deserve free meals and I agree with the 2 week pay period and the 3rd party investigation article too,” Doswell said.
Sabine Winkler is another student who joined the morning picket line, she said the university is not “prioritizing us (student workers).”
Daily Emerald reporters are on scene and will continue to have live updates throughout the day.
Editor’s Note: The Daily Emerald values transparency in its reporting and coverage production. While some Emerald staff are actively involved in the student workers strike, these staff members are not involved in the production or reporting of The Emerald’s strike coverage.
