In their ongoing dispute with administrators over pay and the frequency of contract renegotiations, graduate students at Oregon State University concluded their second week of striking on Friday.
On November 12, the Coalition of Graduate Employees, which represents over 1,700 graduate student teaching and research assistants at the biggest university in the state, went on strike in an attempt to get the lowest-paid graduate student employees to receive a 40% pay increase.
The institution’s plan to renegotiate the contract every six years was also criticized by the union. According to union president Austin Bosgraaf, this is a considerable period of time for graduate students, who hardly ever work at the university for that long. According to Bosgraaf, the student contract has been renegotiated every four years, with the possibility of reopening some provisions every two years at a halfway point.
Both of those problems are still present.
According to an email from the university, Oregon State graduate students work an average of slightly over 17 hours per week, with an hourly compensation of about $31.68. According to the institution, the lowest-paid employees currently make around $25 per hour.
Reagan stated that university officials were optimistic they may move closer to a provisional deal as the parties resumed negotiations on Friday.
Reagan wrote in an email that the university has been negotiating for a contract that acknowledges the vital work done by graduate staff members and acknowledges that OSU has a responsibility to manage resources responsibly in order to fulfill its mission as a steward of public funds and student tuition dollars.
In a city where the typical rent for a one-bedroom apartment easily surpasses $1,000 per month, Bosgraaf stated that the minimum salary for a graduate student is approximately $1,400 per month after taxes. Additionally, because their contracts only allow them to work 19 hours per week, graduate students are not eligible for food stamps, which require an adult without dependents to work 20 hours per week, he said.
I know people with dependents who make minimal wage. I know people who have three jobs. Additionally, Bosgraaf stated, “I know people who are accruing credit card debt.” The truth is that you are living in austerity when your pay is so close to the amount of your bills and costs. A person is truly worn down by it.
Bosgraaf stated that the institution was providing 10% and that graduate students had reduced the raise for the lowest-paid employees to 30% as of Friday am. He claimed that although the university provided a four-year contract with no midway reopener, graduate students refused to accept a longer commitment than three years.
Reagan stated that Oregon State classes are proceeding as planned to the best extent feasible, but he did not say if any had been canceled due to the strike.
According to Bosgraaf, he has heard of a variety of effects of the strike, such as research projects slowing down without graduate students working in labs and students losing out on additional academic support without their mentors.
PSU CALL FOR MEDIATION
One step toward a possible strike was taken last week when faculty members at Portland State University demanded mediation in their talks with administrators.
According to a news statement from the union, 1,200 professors and academic staff members who are members of Portland State’s American Association of University Professors crowded the university’s Thursday board meeting to the point where the institution had to limit access.
About 90 non-tenure track faculty members received notice of possible layoffs from the university in October as it struggles to address a $18 million financial deficit. Faculty members who will be impacted will be informed in mid-December, although the precise number of layoffs is still uncertain.
Portland State has experienced a steady loss in enrollment since 2019 and has not yet recovered or stabilized from pandemic enrollment declines, in contrast to the majority of other Oregon universities. Recent state data shows that its autumn enrollment is down about 6,000 students from 2019.
The faculty union’s demands for mediation stem from what it claims is the university’s refusal to engage in wage negotiations until it has resolved other aspects of the agreement.
Christina Williams, a spokesman for the university, stated that the parties had decided to discuss non-economic matters first before discussing salary hikes, cost of living increases, and promotions.
A grievance against the layoff notices has been lodged by the faculty union. Emily Ford, president of the faculty union, stated in the news release that the university has also received grievance complaints from part-time teachers and is in mediation with its graduate student union.
In a statement, Ford added, “This Board and its Administration are fumbling into serious labor strife.”
According to Williams, the institution is dedicated to fair and equitable agreements that serve the interests of both sides.
According to a statement from Williams, “We are mindful of our commitment to providing equitable access to a high quality education for our students while also being good stewards of public funds.”
Sami Edge writes for The Oregonian on politics and higher education. She may be contacted at (503) 260-3430 or [email protected].
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