Jessica Waters Photo Editor SEIU members and supporters gather on the lawn in front of Oregon Hall to protest contract negotiations with OUS. OUS, SEIU head off strike with updated labor agreement i ne proposed aeai includes full health care benefits for half- and full-time workers By Jared Paben News Reporter The Oregon University System and the Service Employees International Union local 503 reached an agree ment Aug. 21, averting a strike that would have begun less than two weeks before fall term. "The individual commitment and dedication of the bargainers, and the campuses' involvement since the be ginning of the year, is what enabled us to reach an agreement and be able to start the new academic year with a focus on our students," OUS Chancellor Richard Jarvis said in a press release. The agreement is the culmination of more than nine months of bargaining between the statewide classified-workers' union and OUS. The union must still ratify the agreement by a vote of its members, OUS Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Tom Anderes said. ii union memDers agree 10 me ne gotiated terms, the strike — threat ened by the University's 1,250 classi fied workers after OUS declared an impasse to negotiations on Aug. 8 — will be prevented. The proposed two-year contract itself satisfies many of the union's demands. First, both full-time and part-time employees who work at least 80 paid hours in a month will continue to re ceive fully paid health care, which is the same as in the previous two-year contract, OUS Spokeswoman Di Saunders said. OUS pulled its proposals for alter ing employee work schedules and un paid furloughs, representing a big vic tory for the union, said Star Uolmberg, the union's bargaining table representative. The union won a clear-cut victory with respect to the right to "bump" laid-off employees, maintaining the current rules for bumping into geo graphical areas. Under the contract language, laid-off employees may take the position of any employee, includ ing those with lesser seniority, within the geographic area of the campus, Turn to CLASSIFIED, page 17A MUSEUM OF NATURAL; 111 STORY ttmu iiii lAMirm i nirr nrM i MVm in i irrirn am/ mi (Borne in.sUe lofieie it 5 coot The Tip of the Iceberg: Interpretive Art about the Missoula Ice-Age Floods Now showing in the lobby Show your student ID and receive 20 percent off in the museum store, Past and Presents Sale and consigned items exempt 1680 East 15th Avenue (behind the School of Law) Tuesday-Sunday, noon-5:00 p.m. O UNIVERSITY OF OREGON CilliqAN I Properties, LLC | PATRick J. CilliqAN FotNdER/PRESidENT 541-210-2244 Fax: 346-5578 PatrickGilligan3@aol.com www.gilliganproperties.com Will PURCHASE CAIVipUS pROpERiy! SAVONA'S Beautiful Resale Gorgeous Vintage Imports & Jewelry 12 th Sc Willamette Cool CRuisiNq xv'itU Iectra BeacIi Cruisers! of styUs & colons! The book bAq of choicETifllM2 uy ANy non'SaU acIuIt bike an