Following 12 months of negotiations, United Academics of the University of Oregon has declared an impasse, meaning they have reached a point in negotiation where they are unable to make further progress, with the “Scholz/Moffitt administration,” UA announced in a statement.
“While nearly all non-economic issues have been resolved, salary negotiations have stalled, with the administration offering little movement since its initial proposal,” UA said.
According to the statement, both sides now have seven days to submit final contract offers before a 30-day cooling-off period begins.
“United Academics remains committed to advocating for a fair contract and will explore further action if necessary,” UA said.
According to UO Spokesperson Eric Howald, the cooling-off period will provide an opportunity for a “fresh starting place for the continued negotiations.”
The statement also said that over half of the membership has pledged support for a potential strike, resulting in a pending vote.
According to UA’s website, UA met with the administration on Feb. 13 and again on Tuesday to discuss a few ideas for a contract.
“We (UA) offered some ideas for a contract that we believe our members would support while still reducing the overall impact on the University’s finances,” UA said. “While we hoped to have a productive conversation, in the end the administration was not prepared to make an offer remotely close to what faculty need or could possibly agree to.”
Howald described the impasse as a “normal stage of negotiations.”
“We are fully committed to continuing our negotiations with a goal of coming to a good resolution for both sides,” Howald said.
UPDATE:
This version has been updated to include comment from the university.
Lee Gaillard • Feb 19, 2025 at 5:35 pm
How do current faculty salaries compare with those of equivalent positions in other major universities? With universities with similar endowments?