Saj Sundaram

The University of Oregon Student Workers (UOSW) union gathered for a practice picket in the street in front of Johson Hall from 12pm to 3pm on April 16, 2025. Approximately 200 union members and supporters attended the picket, with speeches from UOSW, The Graduate Teachers Fellows Federation Union and United Academics of the UO. Picketers held signs that read “UAW Ready to Strike.” After approximately 40 minutes of speeches, the crowd formed a circle to start picketing. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)

Following nearly 11 months of bargaining with the University of Oregon administration, UO Student Works union held a practice picket in front of the Lillis Business Complex at noon.

According to a social media post by UOSW, the practice picket was “UO’s last chance” to agree to a “fair contract.”

“In order to be strike ready, we (UOSW) need to show UO that student workers will do whatever it takes to win a fair contract,” the post read. 

Approximately 200 union members and supporters attended the picket, with speeches from UOSW, The Graduate Teachers Fellows Federation Union and United Academics of the UO. Picketers held signs that read “UAW Ready to Strike.”  

Ed Wolf, Vice President of Diversity and Equity for UA and associate professor of ethnomusicology at the School of Music and Dance, addressed the crowd first and spoke of UA’s recent ratification vote and emphasized that UOSW had the support of the other campus unions.   

“They could’ve heard your desires for better pay. They could have heard your desires for better working conditions. They could’ve heard how to make this university better, but they haven’t. You need to make them listen,” Wolf said.

According to Ashton Pressman, a lead negotiator for UOSW, one of the “largest, outstanding issues” on the bargaining table involves the union’s wages structure.

“We gave them our (UOSW) wage structure on May 29, (2024), our first day of bargaining, and last week they (UO) said ‘Oh, maybe this is something that could actually work,’” Pressman said. “It (UO) took them 11 months to agree to something we proposed (on) day one of bargaining.” 

Pressman also said the university still hasn’t agreed to “proper arbitration.” 

After approximately 40 minutes of speeches, the crowd formed a circle to start picketing.

While picketing, the crowd chanted “Who got the power, we (UOSW) got the power” and “UO works because we (UOSW) do,” among other chants.  

Around 1 p.m., the crowd marched through Lillis to Johnson Hall, the administrative building. 

The practice picket is scheduled to go until 3 p.m., according to the social media post.