On Feb. 8, 2024, protestors gathered along Agate Street on the University of Oregon Campus to support SEIU’s bargaining for cost of living adjustments and other benefits. (Eliott Coda/E. Coda Media)
The UO chapter of the Service Employees International Union held a “practice picket” at the corner of E 13th & Agate at 12 p.m. on Feb. 8. The UO SEIU chapter, along with six other Oregon public universities, entered the first day of official contract mediation at OSU earlier today.
SEIU chapter 503 represents over 22,000 members throughout Oregon, representing employees in the Department of Education and the Department of Justice. Before SEIU can legally go on strike, it must complete meditation sessions with the state. The current SEIU contract ends on June 30, 2026 — however,SEIU agreed with management to negotiate the current contract in 2024.
“After failing to reach an agreement with management in seven bargaining sessions, we will enter mediation in 2024,” SEIU organizer Lisa Roberts said in an email statement to SEIU members. “We are doing a practice picket to show management what it will look like if we strike. People who work full time at Oregon’s Public Universities shouldn’t need two jobs to survive.”
The union workers have been negotiating for cost of living adjustments that would increase wages to match inflation rates.
According to SOJC digital marketing specialist and SEIU member Jeremy Parker, “the biggest sticking point [for SEIU] is the cost of living adjustments.”
The current offer for “Cost of Living Adjustments” COLA is a 5.25% salary raise effective for 2024, and another 5% raise over the next two years.
According to Parker, COLA’s recent offer is “pretty embarrassing.”
“The big thing is that we know that they [have the] money to fund the contract that we need and so we’re just relying on them now to bargain a fair contract,” SEIU communications organizer Arianna Avena said.
The seven public Oregon universities are:
University of Oregon
Oregon State University
Portland State University
Western Oregon University
Southern Oregon University
Eastern Oregon University
The Oregon Institute of Technology
Roughly 100 people, including many GTFF members, were in attendance, holding signs that read “my outrage won’t fit on this sign” and “no Pepsi we need COLA.”
“I just want to be able to afford rent,” Parker said.
The location and date of the next meditation session was not immediately clear.
