Higher Education Bargaining
Campus Actions Ihra Up Heat On OSSHE
or the past six months, OPEU demonstrated that support. At the
University of Oregon, for example,
higher education workers
have been turning up the heat on two rallies were staged over the past
six weeks — each event drawing
OSSHE board members, state
more than 250 workers, students and
legislators, university presidents,
community members. Portland
and campus financial officers.
State University workers have been
While OSSHE remains far from
joined by community members at
the mark for a fair contract and
various actions on that campus and
state legislators continue to drag
their feet on full funding for
tangible community support has
been present on every other campus
higher education, considerable
as well.
progress has been made in large
part by our militancy bn and off
As the higher education bargain
ing unit moves into this critical
campus. The most important
gain made in this campaign so far stage, maintaining that community
support and the
is the winning of broad commu
support of
nity support for our issues:
OPEU sisters
Several recent actions have
and brothers
will be essential
to winning a
fair contract in
1997.
F
Higher Ed Workers Cast Votes
for Strike Preparation
n June 13, 1997, OPEU’s
higher education bargaining
unit votedoverwhelmingly to reject
the most recent offer made by the
Oregon State System of Higher
Education (OSSHE) and to autho
rize Our Union to begin strike
preparations- When all ballots were
counted from the State’s seven
higher education campuses, the
results showed 92% of higher
education workers supporting strike
preparation while only 8% opposed
that step. The earliest possible date
that higher education workers could
strike is August 4, 1997. A strike
will not take place until there is a
vote of the bargaining unit.
The decision to make this
si^nifican t ^moye. came folio wing six
months of frustration with OSSHE
negotiators. Like their sisters and
brothers in the state bargaining unit,
higher education workers are facing
four years without a raise and the
possibility of losing the current
health benefits program due to
rising insurance premiums. While
the OPEU/DAS settlement earlier
this year included significant raises
addressing the compensation gap
and crafted an arrangement to
ensure additional funds would be
available to maintain fully paid
family health benefits. No such
proposals have been forthcoming
from OSSHE negotiators.
Instead, OSSHE continues
to propose no increases in insurance
premiums, resulting in workers
paying up to $108 per month out of
pocket for family medical benefits.
OSSHE has offered a 2% wage
Clockwise'from left: Higher ed workers send message to
increase delayed to 1% on January
OSSHE; Spokesperson Seekatz and District
1,1998 and 1% on
January 1,1999. The
six-month delays in
each increase actually
reduces the real value
1. Call, write, fax or e-mail OSSHE Chancellor Joe Cox
of each increase by
(see below) and ask him to stop treating higher ed workers
50%. OSSHE has
like second class citizens. Urge him to put a fair wage -
offered very few
increase and protected, fully paid benefits on the table!
^selective salary
increases for classes
2. Call, write, fax or e-mail your elected state representa
behind market.
tives and urge them to support returning the $2.9 million
Unlike DAS,
roll-up back to the budget, Also urge them to ensure
OSSHE has indicated
higher education receives adequate overall funding to
they are willing to
ensure that higher education receives a fair contract.
follow the lead of the
Republican budget
3. Contact your worksite organizer about participating in
which treats higher f
Higher education bargaining unit delegates, i
higher education actions on a campus near you during the
education workers as a
members of the higher education statewide strategy
week of June 23.
secondary commodity.
committee and higher education bargaining unit leaders
How to Contact Joseph Cox
We know that
will be. meeting on June 28, 1997 in Salem (location
Joseph W. Cox, Chancellor
Oregon
can't have a
TBA). Conference attendees will review and assess the
Oregon State System of Higher Education
first
class
higher
most recent round of bargaining with OSSHE and help
111 Susan Campbell Hall/University of Oregon
education System by
develop our Union’s next step in this important fight.
Eugene, OR 97403
treating its workers
If you are a delegate or an interested worker
like second class
inside or outside the higher education bargaining unit,
Telephone:
541-346-5700
citizens.
Now we
contact your worksite organizer about attending this
Fax:
541-346-5764
have to teach OSSHE
important event.
E-Mail:
Jòseph_Cóx @ sch.osshe.edu
that lesson.
What We Can Do to Help Our
Higher Ed Sisters and Brothers
Higher Ed Bargaining Conference
June 28,1997
PAGE 14 THE OREGON PUBLIC EMPLOYEE