After nearly 11 months of bargaining, the University of Oregon Student Workers Union, which includes over 4,000 students, is preparing to strike if an agreement with UO is not reached by April 28.
UOSW’s strike authorization vote passed with 94.5%, but only approximately 60% of student workers voted.
What is UOSW bargaining for?
UOSW and UO have yet to come to an agreement on issues including pay and pay period, resident assistant roles and the handling of harassment and discrimination complaints, known as arbitration.
UO and UOSW submitted final offers to the relations board on March 19.
UO currently pays non-stipend employees monthly, but UOSW is bargaining for the pay period to change to every two weeks, according to their final offer.
UO has received two warning letters from Oregon’s Bureau of Labor Industries since November 2024 for exceeding the 35-day pay period limit established by Oregon law.
Apart from a shorter pay period, UOSW is also bargaining for increased wages.
UOSW’s final offer includes an hourly compensation of $21 to $22 for hourly student workers represented in the bargaining unit. UO’s final offer includes hourly compensation of $15.15 to $19.50 for hourly student workers in the bargaining unit. Salary varies by role and position.
According to UO’s website, hourly salaries are currently $14.70 to “over $18,” depending on the role, with an average of $15.34.
UOSW is also proposing that RAs receive $3,000 stipends during the academic year.
Additionally, UO’s final offer includes plans to split RA roles into a “Resident Assistant Community-Builder” role and a “Resident Assistant On-Call” position beginning fall of 2026.
The community-builder position would offer 50% compensation for room and meal plan and the on-call position would offer 75%. UOSW has rejected this proposal throughout bargaining.
The community-builder RA would focus only on employing “community development strategies,” while the on-call RA would perform “evening and late night work” focused on “safety and security,” according to UO’s final offer.
RA Ryan Campbell said he does not see a way UOSW would agree to a contract that includes role-splitting.
“Currently, every RA I’ve talked to about this (role-splitting) is vehemently opposed to it and I back that stance. There is no good in splitting the role because the role works the way it is so that is the stance I have taken for ages and that is the stance I’m going to keep and that is the stance I am willing to strike over and… many RAs are too,” Campbell said.
Another issue left on the bargaining table is the right to have a third party settle formal disputes over harassment and discrimination. This process is called arbitration.
“Student workers are arguably the most vulnerable populations of employees on UO campus — denying this protection (arbitration) to this group (student workers) is not right when other workers have the right to full arbitration of non-discrimination and harassment cases is industry standard,” Izzie Marshall, a member of UOSW’s bargaining team, said.
All other campus unions representing UO faculty, service employees, graduate employees, printing and mailing services and campus police list the right to arbitration in their contracts.
Alternative to UOSW’s proposed model of third-party arbitration, UO proposed its own Office of Human Resources to handle formal grievances filed by student workers.
How the strike might affect campus life
According to the university’s FAQs page, should a strike happen, classes and campus services will continue as planned to “minimize interruption as much as possible.”
According to UO’s website, a strike is not expected to interfere with spring graduation.
But according to some UOSW members, if the union does strike, RAs might not respond to non-emergency situations, including roommate disagreements. Dining halls — operated primarily by student workers — could also be left with significant gaps to fill.
According to UO’s website, almost a quarter of student workers work in housing and dining.
Who’s involved
UOSW includes all UO students in hourly positions or resident assistants. All workers must be enrolled at UO or in an accredited educational institution.
But UOSW does not include students who receive stipends or academic credit hours or students who hold positions for less than 30 days.
At a UOSW practice picket on April 16, a representative from United Academics of UO and a representative from the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation spoke at the event, both stating that UOSW has the support of the other campus unions.
“We, your fellow unions, speaking for UA for sure, are proud of what you are doing,” Ed Wolf, vice president of diversity and equity for UA and associate professor of ethnomusicology at the School of Music and Dance, said.
Mediation sessions between the UO bargaining team and UOSW will continue throughout this week. According to UO, sessions are scheduled for April 24, 25 and 27.
