Saj Sundaram

Picketers cheer as cars passing by honk and wave in support of the strike. At 8am on April 28, 2025, the University of Oregon Student Workers began their strike after nearly 11 months of bargaining for pay, pay periods, resident assistant roles and more. At 5pm, the strike moved to Unthank Hall, where they had a group of picketers sitting on the front lawn facing Agate St., a picket line on the sidewalk between the Tingle wing of Hamilton Hall and Unthank Hall, and a secondary picket line in front of Unthank Hall facing Agate St. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)

The Oregon Employee Relations Board has determined that the University of Oregon broke the law by prohibiting labor-related activity.

The board concluded that the UO violated ORS 243.672(1)(a), a statute that details how an employer cannot interfere with employee organizations or discriminate against employee exercises of rights.

According to Robin Bailey, a member of the communications committee at UOSW, final orders from the decision included demands that the university cease telling student workers that they could not engage in organizing activities while on work time, not give union presentations in a class, not sign union cards in a residence hall on campus or not wear union pins.

The final orders also outlined that the university must stop implying that Resident Assistant stipends could be delayed due to union activity.

In the spring, RAs were charged for their room and board cost if they participated in the UOSW strike. This included meal plans included with their positions.

Because of this case, other Oregon universities are now guaranteed the right to sign union cards, or the document that a worker signs to join their union, in a dorm. UOSW’s complaint can now also be cited as case law in Oregon.

According to UOSW, 2,100 workers signed union cards in April 2023, the period in which UO was determined to have been suppressing union activity. More recently, UOSW won its first contract in May following an 11-day strike.

This is only one of several ULP complaints the union has filed against the university, according to Bailey. 

The union has two remaining outstanding complaints against the university — one regarding the university’s retaliation against Resident Assistants who participated in the strike, and another about UO’s use of code of conduct charges against organizers during a free speech rally.