At 12 p.m., approximately 150 United Academics members and community supporters rallied outside of Johnson Hall to deliver a letter of support to the University of Oregon administration.
With over 650 signatures, UA’s main grievance at the “Oregon Falling” rally concerns faculty pay.
“What we’re trying to do is get the administration to pay us fair wages…the wages that are the same as our peers are making,” Chris Sinclair, UA’s secretary and math professor, said.
Chris Meade, senior director of employee and labor relations at UO, said in a recent letter to the community that “UO invests in salary and benefits that maintain competitive total compensation…UO financial resources are finite and must support our entire teaching and research mission.”
Meade said the university has to consider financial resources, like salary, benefits and state funding, throughout the ongoing negotiations with UA.
In the same letter, Meade said the role of the university is “responsibly stewarding the institution’s financial resources.”
Sinclair said UO’s calculations are built on “heroic assumptions based on misconceptions.”
“They severely underrepresented the increased cost of living in Eugene. They also are declaring we have very great medical benefits, but the story is different,” Sinclair said.
UA President Mike Urbancic spoke first at the rally, emphasizing the faculty’s role in creating a “flourish[ing]” university.
“We have a new president who wants [UO] to flourish, wants to make [UO] rise, we have to make that happen by investing in faculty,” Urbancic said.
After Urbancic spoke, Ed Wolf, vice president of diversity and equity, played the ukulele and engaged the crowd in union songs.
“I hope you know your rights because there is bound to be a strike,” Wolf and the attendees sang.
The crowd sang along and held signs that read “3% won’t pay my rent” and “arguing over groceries.”
Kaleigh Bronson, a research assistant for the College of Education, also led several chants.
“We need wages that compare; UO shows us they don’t care,” Bronson said.
Elizabeth Budd, an evergreen associate professor at the College of Education, said she showed up to “put pressure” on the administration.
“[UA’s] requests are fair and needed and the administration is not listening to us, so we needed to put more pressure on them to listen and make things fair,” Budd said.
Allison Collucio, a lab manager and research technician, said the results of the recent election was one of the reasons she attended the rally.
“I feel like especially with how the country just voted, it’s really important to show that real people matter and it’s not just the oligarchs that get to call the shots,” Collucio said.
Members of other campus unions including the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, Service Employees International Union and UO Student Workers attended the rally to support UA.
Collin Heatley, vice president of GTFF external relations, spoke on the importance of collaboration.
“We’re showing up here for our campus allies, we’re only as strong as our colleagues and campus labor is showing up for our faculty,” Heatley said.
Members of Bigfoot Beverages and Franz who have been on strike since September and October respectively, also attended.
The rally ended with UA moving into a bargaining session with UO administration at 12:30 p.m.
