Thread by @GTFF_3544

Gooooood morning world! Today, GTFF is starting state mediation in our ongoing contract negotiations with the University of Oregon. Bargaining Team member here to give you live-time updates throughout the day. You can track proposals on our public Trello:

trello.com/b/diHGQaH6/gtf…

Here's our Bargaining Team in front of the office this morning, before making the trek all the way down to the FASS building... whew!

UO refused to reserve space for our membership today, but members can drop by the GTFF office from 12-5pm for updates from Contract Action Team.

The state mediator, Janet Gillman, is introducing the mediation session and explaining its purpose. The state comes in during the late stages of a labor dispute to try to push each side towards a deal. Janet has been the mediator in GTFF's negotiations with UO several times.

The mediator's role is to be impartial and to work towards a settlement, but the respective bargaining teams will continue driving the negotiations. Mediation proposals become an option at this point, which are exploratory and non-binding (unlike official bargaining proposals).

After 15 days of mediation, either side (or the mediator) can declare "impasse", which means one or both sides believe no further progress can be made through mediation alone. At that point, each side would declare public "last best offers" + 30 days of "cooling off" would begin.

During "cooling off", GTFF would likely hold a strike authorization vote to authorize the Bargaining Team to declare intent to strike on behalf of the membership. After 30 days, UO could impose a contract; if GTFF disagreed with it, b-team could declare a 10-day intent to strike.

We don't know how long mediation will last (min 15 days but no certain end date). So, this is just info about the *MINIMUM* legal windows for state mediation. Even if one (or both sides) declared impasse (or intent to strike), negotiations would continue until a deal is made.

Timeline clarifier: the minimum legal timeline would likely also include about 7 days for the state to publish the last-best offers.

Again, to stress: these are just the minimum timelines for mediation per Oregon Labor Law. The real timeline will depend on how mediation goes.

First proposal of the day comes from GTFF's team, a counter for Article 22 (Salary).

Section 1.a - GTFF is reiterating asks to raise summer teaching FTEs to correspond with course credit hours (i.e. same amount of work over summer should get the same pay as academic year).

GTFF has adjusted wage proposals to show good faith in the negotiation process:

UO's latest offer (Sept 14):
- Min GE salary: 5.5% (Year 1), 3.5% (Y2), 3% (Y3)
- Above min: 3%, 2.5%, 2.5%

GTFF's latest offer (Oct 4):
- Min GE salary: 26%, 15%, 10%
- Above min: 15%, 10%, 9.5%

Also in GTFF's Article 22:
- Additional raises if local housing costs increase above 5% annually
- Financial penalties for UO if they pay GEs late (a frequent problem)
- Clarifiers for GE working dates (since grades are often due after actual contract dates, or GEs have to prep)

Teams have been caucusing for a bit. In the meantime, check out this support letter from faculty organized by @geosmx! More than 176 UO faculty members have signed in support of the GTFF bargaining campaign so far:

docs.google.com/document/d/1VT…

@geosmx One last proposal pass before lunch break. GTFF is bringing a counter for Article 17 (Appointments/Reappointments).

Section 2 - A few tweaks outstanding for the Letters of Notice UO sends out to new GEs (defining FTE & providing monthly gross income).

@geosmx Section 6 - Reiterating hourly positions should be limited + paid at same rates as other GE roles.

Section 8 - Reiterating that grads who find funding through a GE in another department shouldn't have their original guaranteed years of funding deducted in their home department.

@geosmx More on Section 8 - this used to be an informal option for GEs in most depts, since many GEs don't get enough guaranteed funding to finish their degrees. It's only been over the past few years that the UO has systematically removed this option for GEs.

@geosmx As a personal reflection: this policy shift seems to be the result of UO cracking down on extended time for grads in the wake of COVID disruptions. Many GEs had their progress slowed down during the pandemic and were seeking additional years of funding... [cont]

@geosmx ...UO formally agreed to extend funding for one cohort of final-year GEs back in 2020-2021 due to COVID impacts, but since then, they've been restricting options GEs have for finding extra funding/extra time.

@geosmx Okay, breaking for lunch

After a long lunch (UO took 45 min longer than expected), we are back in the room with the mediator. UO has mediation proposals (i.e. non-binding proposals) for Article 8, 9, 24, 25, 30, & Expense Reimbursements. These will be available on our Trello in a few minutes.

Noticeably missing from the list is an Article 22 (Salary) counter. Several weeks since our last session and three hours for lunch today, but apparently that's not enough time for UO to prepare a salary counter.

Article 8 - Nondiscrimination. Agreements for almost everything but Section 6, newly proposed language protecting trans + gender nonconforming GEs against being misgendered by direct supervisors. They've agreed to part of this, but struck language defining this as discrimination.

UO is suggesting that intentional/persistent misgendering is already protected against in our contract + the contract is clear enough to not need more language.

This is not what they argued a few weeks ago. Previously, UO argued the behavior is protected by religious freedom.

GTFF pushing back:

"You guys are experts on our contract and didn't seem to think this behavior was protected against a few weeks ago. It doesn't make sense to argue it's widely understood as protected if people in this room weren't clear on it."

"It’s a dangerous time to be a trans individual. State and federal laws have been changing and are under political scrutiny. Legal federal protections for trans people that exist right now might not always exist. We want to make sure that our contract outlines those protections."

Article 9 (Work Agreement/Assignment)

Section 3 - UO is countering with three weeks notice for teaching GEs of course assignments (GTFF proposed four weeks).

Section 5 - UO crossed some proposed language to require a Workload Allocation Form when course caps are increased.

Article 24 - Quick review, some ongoing disagreements about UO paying more for health insurance administration (arguing UO doesn't control the Trust so they can't control cost increases; GTFF points out those costs are determined by insurance companies + inflation, not the Trust)

Article 24 - UO still not agreeing to pay 95% GE health insurance during summer (currently paying 80%)

Article 25 (Respectful Workplace/Support Services)

UO proposed changes to names of some support GEs + reducing # from 6 to 5

GTFF: International Student Support GE, BIPOC Student Support GE, LGBTQIA+ Student Support GE

UO: Multiculturalism Service GE, Diversity & Retention GE

Also some disagreement around Article 25 Section 7.

Regarding workplace bullying, UO continues to imply that intention is more important than impact by reasserting a definition of bullying as "behavior intended to undermine, patronize, humiliate, intimidate, or demean".

Just a pause/reminder that UO has brought all the counters today as mediation counters (not official bargaining counters).

We didn't agree to confidentiality, so I'm still able to share info, but you might not see these same offers on the Trello board + they're not binding.

Article 30 - Grad Assistance Fund

Section 1.b.7 - UO revised our language, but are agreeing to the general principle that GEs can have qualifying access to the Grad Fund in the case of unexpected housing removal unrelated to lease violation with less than 60 days notice.

Expense Reimbursements - Some discussion around the unclear divisions between what counts as travel required as part of student status vs worker status.

UO also crossed all language specifying specific timelines for reimbursements + financial penalties for not meeting them.

GTFF pushing back against UO crossing out the reimbursement timeline:

"People are living on a razor's edge financially. So a 60-day delay on reimbursing $2,000 is a profound crisis, not an inconvenience. The consequences for people earning this kind of money are profound."

Teams are going to caucus to see if we can bring any more counters today.

Returning from caucus. GTFF has a few counters (Article 8, Article 25, Article 30) and we believe UO has a few as well.

Long day so far, hoping to finish out strong maybe with some Tentative Agreements.

UO has brought a counter for the Equitable Housing LOA. Some very minor language modifications around publicizing the report. UO is proposing: "report will be made publicly accessible".

Article might be close to a Tentative Agreement for Monday's mediation session.

GTFF countering Article 8. Still workshopping Section 6.

GTFF proposing: "Persistent, ongoing refusal or failure by supervising university employees to accurately adhere to a GE’s reported gendered language is prohibited under Section 1 of this article."

Article 25 (Respectful Workplace/Support Services). GTFF giving a conditional offer. Agreeing to title changes for a few "Support GE" positions + a few other changes if UO agrees to 5 support GE positions every year (instead of sunsetting one of the positions after next year).

Article 30 (Grad Assistance Fund). Really close to an agreement here, just a very minor language adjustment in Section 1.a.7.

GTFF is asking to Tentatively Agree to this article! UO will check with their people first, hopefully TA on Monday.

GTFF has a question about Article 9 (Work Assignment/Agreement) regarding why UO has rejected our proposal to require Workload Allocation Forms when course caps are increased for GEs.

"Is it the university's position that adding students to courses does not increase the work?"

UO: "You're right... We think what's most helpful at this point is if we put our thoughts in an email."

GTFF: "I don't know what an email does that helps, but we'll read it. What we're hearing is UO wants the right to increase the work on GEs' plates without compensating them."

UO will respond to this question + bring counters to International GE & Caregiver articles on Monday.

UO asked why we want free tax software for International GEs.

GTFF: "Neither UO or GTFF want to be liable for taxes. Let's provide alternatives to make the process easier."

GTFF closing remarks: "We want mediation to work, we want a deal. We hear you're going to bring a response to Article 22 on Monday.

What we would like is for UO to bring us an offer on Monday that acknowledges the historic situation we are in..." [cont]

"...In the last few years, we have experienced higher inflation than in 40 years. That means we need a contract that looks pretty different from anything we've seen before..." [cont]

"...There's been more than 19% inflation since our last contract in 2019. Almost half our bargaining unit didn't get ANY cost of living adjustment last year. We need a contract that reflects these conditions..."

"...The reality is that UO has been enjoying artificially lowered employment costs for years, at a direct expense to workers like us. We have been absorbing the cost of inflation for UO's financial benefit. We don't think that's acceptable..."

"... Employment costs have risen in every industry. That's a fact UO has to deal with, just like any other employer.

We've shown you the data, we won't reiterate. We've shown why this is an economic situation people can't survive..."

"...We understand that we are asking for a contract that looks pretty different from past ones. We want UO to acknowledge this is a historic situation, and to bring us offers on Monday that reflect that situation."

I mean, what else can be said? Signing off here for today, folks. See you again Monday!

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