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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2012)
At University of Oregon Administration appeals faculty union filing to ERB B Y STEFAN OSTRACH Special Correspondent EUGENE — A union organizing effort by a majority of faculty em- ployed by the University of Oregon (UO) has been delayed. Just four minutes before a 5 p.m. deadline on April 4, lawyers represent- ing UO’s administration filed objec- tions with the state Employment Rela- tions Board (ERB). United Academ- ics of the University of Oregon (UA- UO), a joint effort by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), had previously turned in 1,100 cards signed by a ma- jority of teaching staff seeking to join together in a single bargaining unit. UO has 1,912 faculty members. Under card check provisions of Oregon’s public sector labor law, if ERB finds the bargaining unit to be ap- propriate, it will certify the union and order the UO administration to bar- gain. The administration’s objections would gut the union campaign. It wants to exclude from the bargaining unit tenure-related faculty; adjunct and af- filiate faculty; postdoctoral scholars; re- search associates and fellows; emeritus and other retired faculty; visiting or guest faculty; and faculty of graduate and professional degree programs. Fur- ther, it wants to expand the definition of ...Ryan-Wyden Medicare plan (From Page 1) low Democrats, who say it’s still a voucher system. Wyden insists that the new plan isn’t a voucher. “A voucher is like a glorified coupon, and it never keeps up with costs,” he explained to the NOLC Ex- ecutive Board. “Unlike vouchers, pre- mium support is variable, it rises with health care costs.” APRIL 20, 2012 Wyden said premium support pay- ments would be pegged to the actual cost of health care in a given area, de- termined by an annual competitive bid- ding process. Last month, Ryan unveiled the House Republicans’ 2013 budget pro- posal, which includes in it the Ryan- Wyden Medicare plan. “I oppose it, sight unseen,” Wyden told the NOLC Executive Board. a supervisor to include all principal in- vestigators, department heads, directors of centers and institutes, and all faculty who work with graduate fellows. In a statement posted on their web- site, UA-UO wrote: “They seem intent on limiting the right of faculty to be part of a union… These objections in- clude most faculty at the UO.” The objections are suspect because the Oregon University System already negotiates with an AFT local at Port- land State that is similar to the broad one sought by the UO academics. Last minute objections are often used as a tactic by employers to stall organizing campaigns because it gives them more time to undermine the drive. ERB has scheduled hearings on the administration’s objections for May 5-7, which will be seven weeks after the cards were submitted. Addi- tional days of hearings may be needed before a recommended order is issued. That order can be appealed to the full ERB and to the courts. After initially pledging to remain neutral, UO administrators spent $25,000 for a consultant to prepare a web page expressing common anti- union themes. More recently, acting UO President Robert Berdahl told UA- NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS UO leaders that he was going to op- pose the union. “Regardless of the out- come of the ERB proceedings, the uni- versity’s goal remains the same: to maintain a strong relationship with those who contribute to the university in all its endeavors — especially in its core mission of teaching, research and public service,” Berdahl said in a pre- pared statement. Tina Boscha, an organizer and UO composition instructor, told the Eugene Register Guard: “We are all part of the university mission, whether tenure track or nontenure track or research. It’s all about research and instruction and educating Oregon’s citizens. “We are confident that they (ERB) will eventually rule that this bargaining unit is appropriate.” Texas Hold’em card tournament draws 61 players, raises $3,027 for Doernbecher Unions for Kids raised $3,027 at its inaugural Texas Hold‘em card tourna- ment April 14 at the Sheet Metal Work- ers Local 16 union hall in Portland. The poker tournament is a spin-off of the annual Motorcycle Poker Run and motorcycle raffle sponsored by Unions for Kids, a 501(c3) non-profit founded 10 years ago by union mem- bers to raise money for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. To date, more than $271,000 has been donated. John Candioto, business manager of Local 16, coordinated the Texas hold’em event. Sixty-one players par- ticipated and 13 businesses and/or union locals sponsored tables. Top four finishers were Doug Haase, Joe Harris, Jonathan Moss, and Chris Sewall. Each received a Visa gift card. “I can’t thank enough everyone who helped out,” Candioto said. “I’m so jacked at the amount raised in the first year. I’m getting started now for next year’s event.” Tickets are still being sold for a chance to win a new Harley — a 2012 Heritage Softail Classic. Tickets are $10 each, with only 5,000 sold. The draw- ing will be held at 4 p.m., June 9, fol- lowing the motorcycle poker run. For more information, call Lee Dun- can at 503-260-5905 or go on line to lee@unionsforkids.org. PAGE 5
