The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF) holds a rally before their planned strike on the grounds of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore., on Jan. 11, 2024. (Eric Becker/Emerald)
In the event of an unforeseen emergency, union agreements exist to aid international students.
As part of an insurance plan as defined by its collective bargaining agreement, the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation Union Insurance covers the repatriation of remains back to home countries up to $1 million per incident.
The coverage is part of Graduate Employees’ overall insurance package and is a requirement for international graduate students on an F1 or J1 visa.
F1 visas are non-immigrant visas that allow international students to pursue full-time academic or language training, while J1 visas are non-immigrant visas that allow international students to participate in work-study exchanges, such as au pairs, students, researchers and interns.
According to UO spokesperson Angela Seydel, the coverage of repatriations is a service purchased by GTFF’s insurance carrier, PacificSource, from Assist America, a partner of Scholastic Emergency Services.
SES is a global assistance program that provides help with translation, medical evacuation or transport, critical care monitoring, family visits, medical trauma visits, emergency message transmission and repatriation and return of remains.
Assist America is a 24-hour emergency service that offers support for medical and non-medical emergencies.
In an emailed statement to The Daily Emerald, GTFF Benefits Administrator Glenn Morris said that because SES are a requirement for international graduate students on F1 or J1 visas, international GE’s may waive out of UO’s International Student Health Benefits plan.
According to Seydel, international students who are not graduate employees also have repatriation of remains and emergency evacuation services through the International Student Health Benefits Plan, in which students are automatically enrolled each term. Students in this plan pay the $1268 insurance premium out of pocket every term.
Under the GTFF Collective Bargaining Agreement, article 24, section 1b, UO pays 95% of premium health insurance costs, while the graduate employee pays 5% of the cost.
