University and GTFs come to terms on new contract
■ The GTF Federation is
encouraging teaching
assistants to ratify the deal
By Maggie Young
Oregon Daily Emerald
The boisterous disagreement
between the Graduate Teaching
Fellows Federation and the Uni
versity was turned down a few
notches last week with an agree
ment to a new contract.
The need for new terms came af
ter the health plan that covers
GTFs was expected to have a 90
percent increase in premiums
with no increase in support from
the University.
After months of negotiations, the
University agreed to pay 100 per
cent ofthe GTFs’ premiums during
the school year, 45 percent during
the summer and 45 percent of their
dependents’ costs all year round.
The price of the new agreement
was a 2 percent pay cut during the
next two years for all GTFs and the
possibility of increases in ASUO
fees beginning this year.
Tim Adamson, chief negotiator
for the GTFs, said the additional
coverage was necessary, but the
pay cut is troublesome.
“On one hand, we are very glad
that we were able to protect our
health plan. That was our number
one priority in the negotiations,”
he said. “But on the other hand, we
are puzzled that at a time when the
University has an unprecedented
amount of money, they continue to
make us exchange salary dollars
for health plan dollars. ”
Adamson said the GTF Federa
tion is pleased with the new terms
and is encouraging members to
ratify the contract. Yet, the federa
tion is also looking toward future
negotiations and plans to push for
a real wage increase to account for
the rising cost of living, he said.
The monthly salary for GTFs
ranges from approximately $300
to $1,000, depending on their edu
cation and their field, said repre
sentatives from the English, Eco
nomics and Geology departments.
Marian Friestad, dean of gradu
ate students, said that the $7,900
average GTF salary at the Univer
sity is lower than the national av
erage of $8,351 but that the Uni
versity’s benefits package, which
includes $6,750 for tuition, $150
to cover fees and a range of $927 to
$1,800 in insurance coverage, is
very competetive.
“When you consider all of the
benefits that GTFs receive ... the
hourly wage works out to be from
$32 to $48 an hour, which, any
way you look at it, is more than
minimum wage,” she said.
Overall the administration is
GTF’s insurance cost per term
GTF’s premium rates from 1994 to 2000
$300
1994- 1995- 1996- 1997
1995 1996 1997 1998
SOURCE: Records of ODS Health Plans
pleased with the outcome of the
negotiations, Friestad said. But un
expected side effects of the agree
ment may arise, she said.
“Hiring a GTF is becoming an
expensive proposition for a de
Leigh-Ann Cyboron Emerald
partnient, though. The total num
ber of GTFs on campus may be re
duced,” Friestad said.
A vote is necessary before the
contract can be put into effect.
Both sides expect it to pass.
Residence hall students worried
about rising meal plan costs
■ University Housing says changes
in meal plan variety and pricing was
based on student input
By Jeremy Lang
Oregon Daily Emerald
Eating in the dorms is more expensive
this year after University Housing made ma
jor changes in the dining system.
The housing department added a more
cost-effective 16-meal plan to the existing
19-meal plan. But prices have risen for both
the larger meal plan and the point value of
food items at Grab and Go, the food service
in Hamilton Dining Hall, leaving some stu
dents angry and confused about the
changes.
University Housing Director Mike Eyster
said the changes in the meal plan were made
based on input from students eating in the
dining halls. “Our customers told us they
wanted more choices and didn’t want to pay
for meals they weren’t going to eat,” he said.
Junior Brady Umeda, a fine arts major,
chose the 16-meal plan over the other plan
because he couldn’t afford a $700 increase
in room and board just for three extra meals
per week. He said he thinks the combined
increases in the cost of the meal plan and
items at the Grab and Go are unfair.
“Not only do I pay more money this year
to eat dorm food, but that money doesn’t go
as far either,” he said.
According to Eyster, the housing depart
ment made the changes partly because there
was not enough money for food last year.
Eyster said the department didn’t budget for
eacn student to use ail 19 meals last year,
predicting that students would continue to
use an average of 16.
Last year, students could eat meals in the
Grab and Go and use up any remaining
meals at the end of the week, unlike the pre
vious year when students who missed a
meal could not redeem it. Items in Grab and
Go have a point value as does a dining meal.
“The change pushed average weekly at
tendance up 15 percent,” said Fred Bab
cock, director of food services for University
Housing. “The extra money from the meal
plan price increase will allow us to pur
chase more food and stay stocked.”
He also explained that the point price in
crease was directly related to the cost of food.
Housing made a profit last year, but
Eyster and Babcock said they do not know if
the profit was related to the price of meals
and the cost of food in the Grab and Go.
“Everything is connected,” Babcock ex
plained. “It is so connected that we can’t re
ally look at a specific part of the housing
budget like money just from food in the
Grab and Go.”
Eyster said that any profit University
Housing makes is used for improvements in
the department, but the point increase per
item at Grab and Go makes it harder for stu
dents such as Umeda to budget their meals.
Umeda thinks that the solution is not to
raise the point prices but to look at efficien
cy in stocking certain items.
Eyster and Babcock both said they are not
concerned with making a profit and would
consider the changes a success if students
gave positive feedback.
OREGON
POLICE CORPS
$30,000 Scholarship
Police Corps is a scholarship program paid for by the United States Department of Justice.
Scholarships are offered on a competitive basis to students who agree
to serve four years in a local police or sheriff’s office.
Students accepted into the Police Corps receive up to $7,500 a year to cover
expenses of study toward a baccalaureate or graduate degree.
1.800.848.3957
www.oregonpolicecorps.com