The University of Oregon’s graduate employee union announced Monday Jan. 15, two days before a strike was set to begin, that they have reached a tentative contract with the UO. 

The GTFF press release says, “Leslie Selcer, GTFF president and a member of the bargaining team, said the deal would transform the university’s approach to graduate programs, making advanced degrees more accessible to a larger and more diverse group of graduate employees for years to come.”

According to the release, the deal with the university, “will bring the minimum salary of graduate employees at the UO up to $2,550 a month.” 

And the release says the union “also won new targeted support for caregivers (including improved childcare resources) and international GEs” as well as new contract language that “includes improved anti-discrimination protections for caste, citizenship, and gender identity; four  weeks of additional Family/Medical Leave; expanded graduate hardship funds and qualifying events; and the university will increase its contribution to employees’ health insurance premiums and decrease fees in the summer months.”

The release says that “graduate instructors and researchers will remain at work while union members vote on whether to ratify the contract.”

The full release is below. 

Graduate Employees Reach Historic Tentative Deal with UO, Halting Strike Plans

EUGENE: With two days left before a strike was set to begin, the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF-AFT Local 3544) announced on Monday evening a tentative contract agreement with the University of Oregon. Graduate instructors and researchers will remain at work while union members vote on whether to ratify the contract.

“This deal simply could not have been secured without the incredible energy, real passion, and diligent preparation that our members devoted to building a credible strike threat,” said Cy Abbott, GTFF co-lead negotiator. “Our members put all of their power into this fight, and won.” GTFF has been bargaining with the UO administration since March 2023 over the wages and working conditions to be set forth in its next three-year contract. From the beginning, salary was a major sticking point, with GTFF calling for raises to match the historic rates of inflation workers have faced in the past few years. On January 5, 2024, the union announced a formal intent to strike beginning on January 17, citing the need for wage increases that would bring all graduate employees at UO closer to a living wage.

But negotiations on January 11 — coupled with a rally and practice picket attended by scores of GTFF members and allies — yielded significant progress, which continued on January 15 after the union returned to the table with additional power built through a General Membership Meeting attended by nearly 600 GEs. On Monday evening, the GTFF bargaining team announced a tentative agreement on a 3-year contract affecting wages, benefits, and working conditions for over 1,400 graduate employees at UO.

The deal announced on Monday will bring the minimum salary of graduate employees at the

UO up to $2,550 a month (based on 0.49 FTE), with cumulative increases ranging from 18.98% to 45.32% over the life of the 3-year contract (dependent on GE level and rate). The union also won new targeted support for caregivers (including improved childcare resources) and international GEs (including visa and SEVIS fees, housing resources, and more). Additionally, new contract language includes improved anti-discrimination protections for caste, citizenship, and gender identity; 4 weeks of additional Family/Medical Leave; expanded graduate hardship funds and qualifying events; and the university will increase its contribution to employees’ health insurance premiums and decrease fees in the summer months.

Leslie Selcer, GTFF president and a member of the bargaining team, said the deal would transform the university’s approach to graduate programs, making advanced degrees more accessible to a larger and more diverse group of graduate employees for years to come. “This fight has always been about more than just us. We want the UO to fulfill its mission as a public university that serves students from all backgrounds, not just privileged ones,” Selcer said. “We are proud to say that our union has pushed the entire institution forward today.”